Unfortunately, not the beer kind.
Greater Sydney reported another 239 positive COVID-19 cases this morning, with higher numbers expected in the days ahead as the Delta variant shows a distinct lack of regard for the lockdown measures now entering their fifth week.
Broadly speaking, markets still dgaf with local stocks on track for their fifth gain in the last seven days. The ASX200 is up by around 2% so far in July.
There were more thrills and spills as quarterlies season approaches the finish line, and the usual round of morning winners in the resources space.
Overnight, the US Fed’s latest policy update came and went with little fanfare, as Wall Street edged lower while the Fed hinted at a possible taper to its bond-buying program.
Gold is holding comfortably above $US1,800 an ounce while oil prices are climbing back towards US$75/barrel.
To ASX small caps …
WINNERS
Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks in morning trade for Thursday, July 29:
Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.
| Code | Name | Price | % Change | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLZ | Classic Min Ltd | 0.0015 | 50.0% | 72,604,874 | $22,369,104 |
| YPB | YPB Group Ltd | 0.0015 | 50.0% | 4,913,655 | $4,991,821 |
| OVT | Ovato Limited | 0.0035 | 75.0% | 16,275,729 | $30,532,031 |
| SRJ | SRJ Technologies | 0.25 | 31.6% | 235,234 | $14,059,840 |
| ROG | Red Sky Energy. | 0.009 | 28.6% | 60,571,951 | $32,489,955 |
| WOO | Wooboard Tech Ltd | 0.0025 | 25.0% | 983,155 | $7,644,325 |
| BLY | Boart Longyear | 0.36 | 20.0% | 123,856 | $26,553,540 |
| COY | Coppermoly Limited | 0.015 | 15.4% | 331,929 | $27,653,782 |
| HXL | Hexima | 0.23 | 15.0% | 140,000 | $24,074,482 |
| IVR | Investigator Res Ltd | 0.067 | 13.6% | 4,154,910 | $78,112,850 |
| AU1 | The Agency Group | 0.059 | 13.5% | 23,780,829 | $22,285,982 |
| DOR | Doriemus PLC | 0.255 | 13.3% | 538,292 | $16,307,754 |
| AXP | AXP Energy Ltd | 0.0045 | 12.5% | 2,876,271 | $18,714,050 |
| MBK | Metal Bank Ltd | 0.009 | 12.5% | 221,696 | $9,512,546 |
| TOE | Toro Energy Limited | 0.018 | 12.5% | 3,768,817 | $57,696,605 |
| AT1 | Atomo Diagnostics | 0.24 | 11.6% | 6,067,512 | $87,868,422 |
| IRE | IRESS Limited | 13.96 | 11.6% | 1,155,786 | $2,422,894,917 |
| CPV | Clearvue Technologie | 0.3 | 11.1% | 471,274 | $56,757,339 |
| CE1 | Calima Energy | 0.01 | 11.1% | 3,194,025 | $92,466,503 |
| OEL | Otto Energy Limited | 0.01 | 11.1% | 19,500 | $43,155,088 |
| SIH | Sihayo Gold Limited | 0.01 | 11.1% | 984,038 | $33,169,153 |
| VAL | Valor Resources Ltd | 0.01 | 11.1% | 744,223 | $26,089,483 |
| CRB | Carbine Resources | 0.041 | 11.0% | 307,823 | $11,646,695 |
Among stocks with announcements, winners (and losers) abounded as markets reach the pointy end of quarterly reporting season (deadline: tomorrow).
Engineering firm SRJ Technologies (ASX:SRJ) was among the winners (not a quarterly), after announcing a $180,000 contract win to carry out a “bolting campaign on a MODEC floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel”.
Oil and Gas explorer Red Sky Energy (ASX:ROG) also jumped on some positive regulatory news, after getting the all-clear from the South Australian government to commence work at its Killanoola PRL13 well in the Penola Trough.
Among stocks with 4C announcements and trading updates, drilling services company Boart Longyear (ASX:BLY) took the honours with a gain of more than 20%.
The company flagged a 45% increase in half-year revenues to US$447m, as it takes advantage of increased exploration spend being deployed by the mining sector with “commodity prices at their highest levels in ten years and global economies recovering from pandemic related restrictions”.
LOSERS
Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks in morning trade for Thursday, July 29:
Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.
| Code | Name | Price | % Change | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCE | Carnegie Clean Energy | 0.002 | -33.3% | 1,055,698 | $44,707,721 |
| AOA | Ausmon Resorces | 0.004 | -20.0% | 7,415,552 | $3,553,297 |
| CGB | Cann Global Limited | 0.005 | -16.7% | 780,951 | $30,835,532 |
| KEY | KEY Petroleum | 0.0025 | -16.7% | 503,118 | $5,903,784 |
| EGY | Energy Tech Ltd | 0.12 | -14.3% | 444 | $24,118,530 |
| MTB | Mount Burgess Mining | 0.006 | -14.3% | 10,714 | $5,314,198 |
| MCM | Mc Mining Ltd | 0.125 | -13.8% | 3,676 | $22,390,835 |
| AUH | Austchina Holdings | 0.007 | -12.5% | 5,000 | $13,072,995 |
| TSC | Twenty Seven Co. Ltd | 0.0035 | -12.5% | 792,916 | $10,643,206 |
| EVE | EVE Investments Ltd | 0.004 | 0.0% | 350,000 | $17,294,139 |
| POW | Protean Energy Ltd | 0.008 | -11.1% | 210,000 | $5,855,517 |
| RNE | Renu Energy Ltd | 0.049 | -10.9% | 385 | $7,301,961 |
| 1VG | Victory Goldfields | 0.205 | -10.9% | 370,116 | $7,214,623 |
| XAM | Xanadu Mines Ltd | 0.033 | -10.8% | 1,514,585 | $46,457,857 |
| WSI | Weststar Industrial | 0.0305 | -10.3% | 18,630,488 | $33,166,203 |
| M3M | M3Mininglimited | 0.18 | -10.0% | 319,998 | $5,592,626 |
| OBM | Ora Banda Mining Ltd | 0.135 | -10.0% | 125,532 | $145,971,940 |
| EN1 | Engage:Bdr Limited | 0.0045 | -10.0% | 1,000,000 | $12,242,857 |
| NGS | NGS Ltd | 0.28 | -9.7% | 371,314 | $14,168,663 |
| SMI | Santana Minerals Ltd | 0.1 | -9.1% | 57,811 | $12,543,590 |
| IMU | Imugene Limited | 0.3 | -9.1% | 35,983,072 | $1,650,998,331 |
| BHD | Benjamin Horngld Ltd | 0.31 | -8.8% | 63,701 | $8,212,782 |
| 1ST | 1St Group Ltd | 0.021 | -9.0% | 42,857 | $9,766,189 |
| GMN | Gold Mountain Ltd | 0.021 | -9.0% | 1,488,986 | $17,657,673 |
The $3.5m market cap minnow Ausmon Resources (ASX:AOA) took a dive after providing an update on its Broken Hill cobalt project and drilling work at its other base metals / copper projects in NSW.