Perhaps it might be too late to jump onboard the so-called “lockdown trade”.

NSW and Victoria are set to exit lockdown next month. Freedoms will include being able to go to non-essential retail, to restaurants and pubs or to the regions.

But some Sydneysiders couldn’t wait a few more weeks. One of the biggest trends out of COVID-19 has been city slickers moving to regional areas.

In the March quarter of this year 11,000 people left Sydney for regional NSW – record figures despite the Harbour City being COVID free for much of that period.

And since the recent lockdown, that number has exploded, according to Figures from Service NSW.

The data showed that in the last month, 57,000 exemptions have been granted to Sydney-siders to look at real estate – which is permitted under law if such a place is intended to be a primary place of residence.

While some may have just wanted to go to Bunnings, it’s possibly a sign that patience locked-down city living is wearing thin.

But in better COVID-19 news, Australia is set to surpass 50% of its population over 16 double-dosed with the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the ASX is set to finish the week down again, but the index has bounced back strongly from Monday’s selloff.

As of 11.45am the ASX 200 was at 7,356 points. The best sector is energy with a 1.42% gain, after Brent crude oil prices climbed above US$77/barrel overnight.

 

ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for Friday September 24 [intraday]:

Stocks highlighted in yellow made market-moving announcements.

Code Name Price % Change Volume
BAS Bass Oil Ltd 0.002 100 36157499
PCL Pancontinental Oil 0.0015 50 10000000
WOO Wooboard Tech Ltd 0.002 33 104501
PNN PepinNini Minerals 0.54 33 18595191
RRR Revolverresources 0.31 32 917123
MRD Mount Ridley Mines 0.005 25 17128160
OVN Oventus Medical Ltd 0.145 21 4119830
CRL Comet Resources 0.03 20 12664110
ECG Ecargo Hldg 0.032 19 13333
GLA Gladiator Resources 0.047 18 8313045
MGT Magnetite Mines 0.029 16 13260254
RD1 Registry Direct 0.037 16 710677
AUK Aumake Limited 0.023 15 1005292
STK Strickland Metals 0.054 15 4683138
SHP South Harz Potash 0.085 15 478306
ANO Advance Nanotek Ltd 4.25 15 50299
AUH Austchina Holdings 0.008 14 192147
BCK Brockman Mining Ltd 0.049 14 52288
AUR Auris Minerals Ltd 0.051 13 44400
SHN Sunshine Gold Ltd 0.054 13 4490973
AXI Axiom Properties 0.09 13 183136
EUR European Lithium Ltd 0.1125 13 15834225
DXN DXN Limited 0.009 13 1044444
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Lithium play Peppinini (ASX:PNN) unveiled a partnership with Chinese lithium giant Ganfeng.

Gladiator Resources (ASX:GLA) announced it was granted Tanzanian exploration licenses.

South Australian property developer Axiom (ASX:AXI) rose after entering into a heads of agreement to sell its Butler Central Homemaker Centre in Perth’s northern suburbs to property investment entity Lester Group.

 

ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for Friday September 24 [intraday]:

Stocks highlighted in yellow made market-moving announcements.

Code Name Price % Change Volume
NTL New Talisman Gold 0.001 -50 499396
CCE Carnegie Cln Energy 0.0025 -17 3092125
SMI Santana Minerals Ltd 0.13 -16 1173780
EVE EVE Investments Ltd 0.003 -14 400000
DDD 3D Resources Limited 0.0035 -13 350747
AJL AJ Lucas Group 0.031 -11 324928
FEL Fe Limited 0.056 -11 5928393
OEX Oilex Ltd 0.004 -11 1331250
CNJ Conico Ltd 0.051 -11 7427944
UUL Ultima Utd Ltd 0.84 -10 2000
BCA Black Canyon Limited 0.27 -10 20000
MBK Metal Bank Ltd 0.009 -10 80000
RIM Rimfire Pacific 0.009 -10 1207461
MEI Meteoric Resources 0.028 -10 1787233
AEE Aura Energy 0.235 -10 3389665
AQX Alice Queen Ltd 0.01 -9 2406427
TZL TZ Limited 0.1 -9 8000
WNR Wingara Ag Ltd 0.1 -9 876747
CAU Cronos Australia 0.15 -9 118254
Z2U Zoom2Utechnologies 0.51 -9 2095066
GUL Gullewa Limited 0.085 -9 35000
BLY Boart Longyear 3.25 -8 37856
EGY Energy Tech Ltd 0.11 -8 232256
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After a stellar re-entry to the bourse yesterday, uranium play Aura Energy (ASX:AEE) retreated today.

Iron ore play Fe (ASX:FEL) dropped after completing a $5 million capital raising.