It’s a new week in the post-COVID bull market — stocks are at record highs and M&A activity is alive and well.

BNPL leader Afterpay (ASX:APT) gave markets a serious shake before the opening bell today, when it announced plans to depart the ASX and join forces with the Bitcoin-buying US fintech Square Inc, led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

The news sent some positive shockwaves across the BNPL sector in morning trade, as other names in the sector bounced off their recent lows.

Moving from fintech to energy, oil & gas companies Santos (ASX:STO) and OilSearch (ASX:OSH) closed out six weeks of negotiations with plans to move forward on a $22bn merger deal.

And at the smaller end of the market, Red Hill Iron (ASX:RHI) stitched up a deal to sell its joint venture stake for $400m in cash.

In light of all that, the big end of town has made a strong start to the week with the ASX200 up by 1.4% into midday trade.

The big banks are climbing along with energy stocks, while the resources sector is trading flat.
 

WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday, August 2:

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Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap
RHI Red Hill Iron 3.99 262.7% 354,141 $65,865,964
TOU Tlou Energy Ltd 0.086 91.1% 6,330,625 $27,008,957
ANL Amani Gold Ltd 0.0015 50.0% 3,860,132 $12,386,997
OAK Oakridge 0.0015 50.0% 10 $3,439,293
TZN Terramin Australia 0.047 34.3% 862,889 $74,079,695
XTC Xantippe Res Ltd 0.002 33.3% 750,000 $6,111,847
MRD Mount Ridley Mines 0.005 25.0% 14,358,207 $20,060,494
NCR Nucoal Resources Ltd 0.01 25.0% 10,045,630 $6,148,899
WOO Wooboard Tech Ltd 0.0025 25.0% 190,044 $7,644,325
APT Afterpay Limited 120.055 24.2% 2,704,781 $27,994,999,391
NMR Native Mineral Res 0.25 19.0% 20,000 $6,050,835
CAD Caeneus Minerals 0.013 18.2% 12,450,573 $43,856,893
RDG Res Dev Group Ltd 0.047 17.5% 402,295 $112,404,651
LKE Lake Resources 0.545 17.2% 12,487,298 $493,028,957
OVT Ovato Limited 0.0035 16.7% 500,000 $36,638,437
STM Sunstone Metals Ltd 0.023 15.0% 30,140,523 $44,199,753
TSC Twenty Seven Co. Ltd 0.004 14.3% 945,394 $9,312,849
CYQ Cycliq Group Ltd 0.035 12.9% 158,164 $10,773,016
KOR Korab Resources 0.027 12.5% 2,937,854 $7,979,832
AGY Argosy Minerals Ltd 0.135 12.5% 8,350,114 $150,032,604
ICN Icon Energy Limited 0.018 12.5% 50,000 $9,561,711
ROG Red Sky Energy. 0.009 12.5% 9,406,012 $37,131,378
DDR Dicker Data Limited 13.03 12.3% 498,594 $2,004,246,086
HMD Heramed Limited 0.235 11.9% 406,672 $37,209,622
CNW Cirrus Net Hold Ltd 0.0335 11.7% 23,033,772 $27,861,459
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Accompanying the jovial tone on broader markets, no less than 13 stocks made an appearance on this morning’s winner’s list following market-moving announcements.

It’s looking like payday for shareholders in iron ore play Red Hill Iron (ASX:RHI), which announced the sale of its joint venture interest in the Red Hill iron ore project for $400m in cash on Friday night.

Stockhead’s resources editor Reuben Adams has all the key details of the transaction here.

Hydrogen play Tlou Energy (ASX:TOU) was also near the top of the winner’s list, almost doubling up in morning trade after signing a binding Heads of Agreement in connection with an Africa-based hydrogen project.

The tri-listed stock, which trades on the ASX, London’s AIM index and the Botswana stock exchange, said its project partner Synergen Met utilises “unique intellectual property in the form of plasma technology to convert methane to hydrogen, and potentially valuable solid carbon via a carbon neutral process”.

“HOA envisages the construction and commissioning of a hydrogen and solid carbon prototype to be installed at the Lesedi Project in Botswana,” the company said.

Elsewhere on the list, BNPL leader Afterpay (ASX:APT) jumped sharply following the big markets news of the morning — a pending $40bn acquisition by US company Square.
 

LOSERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday, August 2:

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

Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap
LEX Lefroy Exploration 0.645 -28.7% 1,855,262 $108,803,324
CLZ Classic Min Ltd 0.0015 -25.0% 41,897,266 $44,738,209
PCL Pancontinental Oil 0.0015 -25.0% 983,831 $12,013,431
ARO Astro Resources NL 0.004 -20.0% 26,686,153 $18,820,965
BAS Bass Oil Ltd 0.002 -20.0% 1,250,000 $8,355,350
PAK Pacific American Hld 0.017 -19.0% 561,459 $6,690,283
LNY Laneway Res Ltd 0.0045 -18.2% 5,702,609 $21,472,363
CPT Cipherpoint Limited 0.029 -17.1% 7,151,772 $7,525,651
CCE Carnegie Cln Energy 0.0025 -16.7% 7,313,753 $44,707,721
IVTDA Inventis Limited 0.135 -15.6% 186,110 $9,891,001
SE1 Sensera Ltd 0.038 -15.6% 7,918,675 $15,321,033
AO1 Assetowl Limited 0.006 -14.3% 1,700,000 $5,713,436
HNR Hannans Ltd 0.006 -14.3% 2,090,150 $16,519,840
TTA TTA Holdings Ltd 0.037 -14.0% 125,566 $5,909,207
SCU Stemcell United Ltd 0.0155 -13.9% 28,662,012 $18,779,772
ADX ADX Energy Ltd 0.007 -12.5% 7,826,477 $21,232,512
MDX Mindax Limited 0.05 -12.3% 83,600 $106,757,282
RHT Resonance Health 0.145 -12.1% 289,259 $76,040,577
SER Strategic Energy 0.046 -11.5% 379,097 $11,057,269
RNE Renu Energy Ltd 0.048 -11.1% 3,437 $7,169,198
AGE Alligator Energy 0.032 -11.1% 19,168,686 $85,969,184
DDD 3D Resources Limited 0.004 -11.1% 1,500,000 $17,461,674
GMR Golden Rim Resources 0.008 -11.1% 340,000 $24,033,147
LITCF Lithium Australia NL 0.064 -11.1% 56,362 $8,165,430
SBR Sabre Resources 0.004 -11.1% 300,000 $7,573,786
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