After a strong start to the week, the positive vibes continued early on Tuesday with ASX markets pushing higher in morning trade.

From markets briefly to the outer reaches of deep space, where scientists are having another go at communicating with aliens (as you do).

48 years after the first message (a human stick figure) was coded in ones and zeros and beamed out into the ether from Puerto Rico, scientists have put together a new Beacon in the Galaxy (BITG) message.

For any aliens who pick up the radio waves thousands of light years away, this message will include a bit more information, including basic science and maths concepts.

If successful, our contact with alien life may go one of two ways; a historic meeting of intergalactic minds, or an ill-advised rendezvous with advanced life forms who “may not see us as any more valuable than we see bacteria”, physicist Stephen Hawking famously warned.

Whether it’s alien life, wars and conflict on planet Earth or rising interest rates, ASX stocks are still taking it all in stride for now.

Gains in Tuesday trade were led by the ASX tech sector, as money continues to flow into Afterpay parent Block Inc (ASX:SQ2).

Energy stocks also rose strongly, with healthy gains for the banks, while the big miners eased back in Tuesday trade.

Later tonight, all eyes will be on Twitter shares which surged in after-hours trade following news that Elon Musk has taken the largest stake in the company (almost 10%), a few days after criticising the site for hindering freedom of speech.

Before that, local markets will be watching the RBA meeting this afternoon (2:3pm EST) for any updates on the central bank’s near-term outlook for interest rates.

ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for April 5 [intraday]:

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Code Company Price % Market Cap
AO1 Assetowl Limited 0.003 20.0% $3,574,034
XST Xstate Resources 0.004 33.3% $9,645,545
FG1 Flynngold 0.2 33.3% $9,609,158
AFW Applyflow Limited 0.0025 0.0% $7,394,020
AMD Arrow Minerals 0.005 11.1% $8,207,693
BAT Battery Minerals Ltd 0.01 25.0% $18,779,717
GGX Gas2Grid Limited 0.0025 25.0% $8,116,204
GTG Genetic Technologies 0.005 11.1% $41,552,843
MMC Mitremining 0.23 24.3% $5,010,744
ADY Admiralty Resources. 0.018 20.0% $19,553,687
PYR Payright Limited 0.18 20.0% $10,482,133
PCL Pancontinental Energ 0.006 20.0% $35,771,114
AJL AJ Lucas Group 0.075 19.0% $75,366,058
HHI Health House Int Ltd 0.033 17.9% $3,801,470
SVM Sovereign Metals 0.705 17.5% $259,460,253
DDD 3D Resources Limited 0.0035 0.0% $14,631,302
ROO Roots Sustainable 0.007 16.7% $4,497,796
RD1 Registry Direct 0.023 15.0% $8,360,888
RDS Redstone Resources 0.0115 15.0% $7,368,324
ATR Astron Corp Ltd 0.665 14.7% $71,036,705
IMR Imricor Med Sys 0.63 14.5% $78,811,665
NGI Navigator Global Ltd 1.82 14.5% $322,248,803
CZR CZR Resources Ltd 0.008 14.3% $24,404,263
KFE Kogi Iron Ltd 0.008 14.3% $9,223,044
RR1 Reach Resources Ltd 0.008 14.3% $13,370,354
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Oil & gas nanocap Xstate Resources (ASX:XST) got a boost in morning trade, after providing an update on a three-well development program in Canada with JV partners Sacgasco (ASX:SGC) and Blue Sky Resources.

XST said drilling was ahead of schedule, and the drill program “has intersected the target sandstone reservoir as expected with oil and gas shows”.

The company said it’s targeting a 10% lift in oil production from the three-well program. If oil prices hold above US$100/barrel, “these wells are projected to pay back the capital expenditure in less than 12 months”, XST said.

Also rising strongly was BNPL player Payright (ASX:PYR), which provides a BNPL service for merchant clients to offer customers, with a focus on bigger-ticket items.

The company announced a $125 million warehouse funding facility with senior lender Goldman Sachs and mezzanine arranger iPartners, which it said will reduce cost of funding by 5.5% and add an additional $4.4m in annual cash flows.

The warehouse facility will be accompanied by a $9.5 million capital raising, comprised of a $1.5 million placement at 18c to strategic investor Fincap Australia, and an $8m convertible note facility with a 22.5c conversion price.

ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for April 5 [intraday]:

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Code Company Price % Market Cap
MHI Merchant House 0.051 -48.0% $9,238,117
JXT Jaxsta Ltd 0.025 -32.4% $12,675,393
AQC Auspaccoal Ltd 0.15 -31.8% $11,106,658
ANL Amani Gold Ltd 0.0015 -25.0% $46,586,882
EVE EVE Health Group Ltd 0.0015 -25.0% $8,619,617
JAV Javelin Minerals Ltd 0.0015 -25.0% $15,136,506
TEM Tempest Minerals 0.1025 -21.2% $51,727,117
BAS Bass Oil Ltd 0.002 -20.0% $11,531,704
PUR Pursuit Minerals 0.033 -19.5% $38,767,517
MAP Microbalifesciences 0.365 -18.9% $101,841,383
CZL Cons Zinc Ltd 0.04 -14.9% $14,163,817
BRV Big River Gold Ltd 0.25 -13.8% $63,861,383
RAB Adrabbit Limited 0.013 -13.3% $2,787,022
AQX Alice Queen Ltd 0.007 -12.5% $12,262,784
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.007 -12.5% $16,950,320
AXP AXP Energy Ltd 0.007 -12.5% $46,497,445
3MF 3D Metalforge 0.036 -12.2% $3,993,729
REM Remsensetechnologies 0.335 -11.8% $12,501,648
SFM Santa Fe Minerals 0.16 -11.1% $13,107,382
CTO Citigold Corp Ltd 0.008 -11.1% $25,502,932
DCX Discovex Res Ltd 0.008 -11.1% $23,117,977
INP Incentiapay Ltd 0.016 -11.1% $22,771,145
LRV Larvottoresources 0.245 -10.9% $11,332,063
BIR BIR Financial Ltd 0.025 -10.7% $4,380,213
SRN Surefire Rescs NL 0.017 -10.5% $21,468,915
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Music attribution aggregator Jaxsta (ASX:JXT) dipped sharply, after announcing a funding deal with licensing platform Songtradr.

The deal will see Songtrader provide JXT with an interest-free loan of $1.7m, which if approved by shareholders will give Songtradr the right to provide an additional $1.3m as part of a $3m convertible note.

The note will be convertible by Songtradr into fully paid ordinary Jaxsta shares at 2.1c, a material discount to yesterday’s closing price of 3.4c.

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