Almost 20,500 people from 102 countries have volunteered to be exposed to COVID-19 to accelerate the development of a vaccine.

The yet-to-be formulated trial is spearheaded by a group called 1Day Sooner, which has no ties to companies currently working on a vaccine.

The group is looking for healthy volunteers between 20 and 45 years old with no underlying conditions.

“If all of the study participants are exposed to the pathogen under highly controlled conditions, we could rely on a much lower number of volunteers and, with luck, develop a safe, effective and broadly available vaccine in a much shorter period of time,” the group says.

US markets rallied on Thursday on increased hopes for reopening of the US economy and possibly another big stimulus bill, while European markets fell “on investor economic recovery doubts”, according to Commsec.

Australian shares followed Wall Street higher in morning trade, with the ASX200 index up 33.7 points (0.58 per cent) at 12pm EST.

 

SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm on Friday May 15:

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Code Company Price % Change Market Cap
TIN TNT MINES LTD 0.200 302 5.73M
ICU ISENTRIC LTD 0.007 125 1.83M
MCT METALICITY LTD 0.004 100 3.86M
AOA AUSMON RESOURCES LTD 0.002 100 1.27M
IKW IKWEZI MINING LTD 0.002 100 8.13M
RGL RIVERSGOLD LTD 0.016 100 3.96M
DTR DATELINE RESOURCES LTD 0.002 100 16.42M
AL8 ALDERAN RESOURCES LTD 0.038 89 7.05M
PGY PILOT ENERGY LTD 0.020 82 1.59M
MPW MSL SOLUTIONS LTD 0.064 61 18.69M
AX8 ACCELERATE RESOURCES LTD 0.025 56 1.75M
TON TRITON MINERALS LTD 0.055 54 61.26M
CLZ CLASSIC MINERALS LTD 0.00 50 12.27M
AGE ALLIGATOR ENERGY LTD 0.007 50 8.54M
MNW MINT PAYMENTS LTD 0.006 50 5.46M
MTH MITHRIL RESOURCES LTD 0.012 50 9.32M
ALT ANALYTICA LTD 0.003 50 10.56M
NGY NUENERGY GAS LTD 0.018 50 26.66M
GTR GTI RESOURCES LTD 0.033 41 14.41M
TDO 3D OIL LTD 0.080 40 21.22M
EMT EMETALS LTD 0.014 40 5.74M
PNC PIONEER CREDIT LTD 0.335 40 19.97M
VRS VERIS LTD 0.030 38 11.75M
KFE KOGI IRON LTD 0.042 36 34.85M
JAY JAYRIDE GROUP LTD 0.150 36 15.77M
BYH BRYAH RESOURCES LTD 0.038 36 3.83M
TRL TANGA RESOURCES LTD 0.019 36 1.77M
ABT ABUNDANT PRODUCE LTD 0.020 36 1.61M
TPS THREAT PROTECT AUSTRALIA LTD 0.061 36 14.70M
GAS STATE GAS LTD 0.530 34 77.50M
GML GATEWAY MINING LTD 0.013 33 16.08M
NUH NUHEARA LTD 0.024 33 25.97M
SBR SABRE RESOURCES LTD 0.002 33 1.72M
SHH SHREE MINERALS LTD 0.004 33 2.43M
LRS LATIN RESOURCES LTD 0.004 33 1.46M
AAJ ARUMA RESOURCES LTD 0.004 33 2.84M
BLV BLOSSOMVALE HOLDINGS LTD 0.170 33 14.75M
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‘Reg tech’ Kycker (ASX:KYK) has signed a new annual contract with Germany’s second largest bank worth a minimum $100,000.

Kyckr also achieved highest monthly revenue of $260,000 due in April, up 39 per cent on the prior year. The stock was up 45 per cent in morning trade.

Battery materials player Novonix (ASX:NVX) spiked +50 per cent on a “breakthrough” battery materials manufacturing method called dry particle microgranulation (DPMG).

Novonix says DPMG could reduce the cost, waste, and environmental impact associated with manufacturing advanced anode and cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Explorers Tyranna Resources (ASX:TYX) and Marmota Energy (ASX:MEU) both got a boost after Marmota launched a fully funded $1.3m offer to buy Tyranna’s Jumbuck gold project in the Gawler Craton.

Jumbuck is currently subject to another offer from Syngas (ASX:SYS).

 

SMALL CAP LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm on Friday May 15:

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Code Company Price % Change Market Cap
CST CASTILE RESOURCES LTD 0.120 -21 22.97M
HGO HILLGROVE RESOURCES LTD 0.031 -21 17.57M
EPM ECLIPSE METALS LTD 0.007 -22 9.90M
ESR ESTRELLA RESOURCES LTD 0.008 -22 3.74M
KNM KNEOMEDIA LTD 0.014 -22 12.69M
CL8 COLLABORATE CORP LTD 0.007 -22 8.06M
BUX BUXTON RESOURCES LTD 0.070 -22 9.52M
VMG VDM GROUP LTD 0.002 -25 10.39M
RXH REWARDLE HOLDINGS LTD 0.003 -25 1.58M
RMX RED MOUNTAIN MINING LTD 0.003 -25 2.63M
IVZ INVICTUS ENERGY LTD 0.018 -25 8.09M
WTL WT FINANCIAL GRP LTD 0.028 -26 4.22M
WNB WELLNESS AND BEAUTY SOLUTION 0.009 -27 10.34M
ACB A-CAP ENERGY LTD 0.012 -29 10.46M
EXL ELIXINOL GLOBAL LTD 0.240 -32 37.23M
QUE QUESTE COMMUNICATIONS LTD 0.027 -32 820.16k
XST XSTATE RESOURCES LTD 0.001 -33 1.43M
ROG RED SKY ENERGY LTD 0.001 -33 1.63M
MGT MAGNETITE MINES LTD 0.002 -33 2.25M
ARO ASTRO RESOURCES NL 0.002 -33 2.54M
RNX RENEGADE EXPLORATION LTD 0.002 -33 1.43M
FGO FLAMINGO AI LTD 0.001 -33 1.12M
BHL BOYUAN HOLDINGS LTD 0.080 -33 27.45M
GED GOLDEN DEEPS LTD 0.007 -36 2.46M
HCD HYDROCARBON DYNAMICS LTD 0.017 -39 5.87M
PWN PARKWAY MINERALS NL 0.007 -40 10.11M
PTR PETRATHERM LTD 0.035 -42 6.03M
CGR CML GROUP LTD 0.285 -44 62.01M
ID8 IDENTITII LTD 0.100 -45 5.91M
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Explorer Inca Minerals (ASX:ICG) led the losers, falling ~33 per cent after major miner South 32 (ASX:S32) pulled out of a joint venture in Peru.