• The ASX was up 0.35% on Friday, down 0.6% for the week
  • NaaS stock Megaport (ASX:MP1)  which soared ~40%
  •  Central banks in focus next week

 

The S&P ASX 200 closed 0.23% higher on the last trading day of the week. The S&P ASX Emerging Companies index (XEC) – a benchmark for Australia’s micro-cap companies – rose 0.79%.

The Aussie bourse was boosted by strong gains in New York overnight as mega tech stocks including Amazon and Meta surged on earnings, and fears of a banking meltdown contagion eased.

The S&P 500 closed 2% higher, the Dow rose 1.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 2.5%.

 

The week that was

Judging by local markets, it was a decent week and an overall positive month for the ASX. Fully 60% of the market are worth more than at the end of last month,  none more so than Megaport (ASX:MP1) which jumped out of its skin, Friday on a strong result and promising guidance.

The data centre and NaaS play soared ~40% after announcing it now expects to report normalised EBITDA in FY23 in the range of $16m to $18m, and $41m to $46m in FY24.

The ASX 200 added +1.85% in April, with lower interest rate stocks doing well and Materials (sans gold) Property and Tech less so.

A few tidbits worth chewing over:

  • Mirvac (MGR) +3.43% was higher despite cutting settlements guidance
  • PointsBet (PBH) -6.06% fell after reporting weaker growth in US turnover – they are looking to jettison this part of their business given cash burn remains too high
  • Iron Ore was ~1% lower in Asia today
  • Gold was back down at ~US$1985 by our close
  • Asian stocks ended higher, Hong Kong up +0.63%, Japan +1.50% while China was up +1.12%

Elsewhere

Wall Street stocks looked shaky to start the week but ended on a Meta Platform high.

Japanese shares rose and Chinese shares fell. Finally EU markets took a step back.

Bond yields were mostly flat to down, as oil, metal and iron ore prices fell.

In the states, this US spending bill can be a problem, but we’re a bit far out to wind up the anxiety on that one yet.

Best keep the stress focused on US bank stress. That’s continuing to be an adolescent ulcer in the bottom for Wall Street with previously put to bed fears around a wobbly First Republic Bank remerging.

“(The) US debt ceiling issue is starting to hot up, recession risks remain and the period from May to September is often rougher for shares,” says the Shane Oliver of AMP Capital.

“Australian shares are likely to be caught up in this as the recovery in China is so far less commodity intensive than thought earlier this year which partly explains the local markets relative underperformance so far this year.”

US economic data was mixed over the last week. Consumer confidence fell, but March quarter GDP growth was less weaker than the deceptively weak read according to Dr Oliver. US jobless claims fell but are still pretty good compared to where The Fed would like them to be.

 

 

ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks from 17-21 April:

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

Code Company Price % Week Market Cap
FFT Future First Tech 0.03 114% $21,295,097
KEY KEY Petroleum 0.002 100% $3,935,856
LRV Larvottoresources 0.32 83% $18,495,049
ROO Roots Sustainable 0.012 71% $779,416
OLL Openlearning 0.033 57% $8,839,679
IPD Impedimed Limited 0.185 54% $321,681,372
HT8 Harris Technology Gl 0.02 54% $4,474,432
AQX Alice Queen Ltd 0.0015 50% $3,795,431
GGX Gas2Grid Limited 0.0015 50% $4,077,102
NZS New Zealand Coastal 0.003 50% $4,962,030
RBR RBR Group Ltd 0.003 50% $4,795,214
ODA Orcoda Limited 0.27 50% $40,953,482
TSO Tesoro Gold Ltd 0.046 48% $42,140,503
ICE Icetana Limited 0.053 47% $9,966,421
WMG Western Mines 0.685 46% $38,845,560
LME Limeade Inc. 0.215 43% $57,755,981
MTM Mtmongerresources 0.165 38% $15,462,572
CHR Charger Metals 0.48 37% $20,545,753
ABE Ausbondexchange 0.275 34% $9,688,276
ADR Adherium Ltd 0.004 33% $19,985,753
GCR Golden Cross 0.004 33% $3,291,768
PKD Parkd Ltd 0.028 33% $2,545,458
RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.008 33% $3,400,318
MAY Melbana Energy Ltd 0.079 32% $256,135,512
RXH Rewardle Holding Ltd 0.025 32% $12,631,716
VTX Vertexmin 0.125 32% $4,572,500
BPH BPH Energy Ltd 0.026 30% $19,307,176
CYQ Cycliq Group Ltd 0.009 29% $3,127,650
MP1 Megaport Limited 5.54 29% $630,525,928
MEI Meteoric Resources 0.1775 27% $295,552,154
1TT Thrive Tribe Tech 0.019 27% $4,599,097
FFG Fatfish Group 0.019 27% $15,545,698
MDI Middle Island Res 0.043 26% $5,263,984
EZZ EZZ Life Science 0.51 26% $25,195,950
EBR EBR Systems 0.81 26% $205,416,419
AOA Ausmon Resorces 0.005 25% $4,846,447
BGT Bio-Gene Technology 0.105 25% $16,995,199
CHK Cohiba Min Ltd 0.005 25% $8,866,221
NET Netlinkz Limited 0.01 25% $31,439,255
PVS Pivotal Systems 0.01 25% $2,250,128
VAL Valor Resources Ltd 0.005 25% $19,015,174
ONE Oneview Healthcare 0.095 25% $43,744,308
MTC Metalstech Ltd 0.355 25% $61,221,834
MCM Mc Mining Ltd 0.205 24% $79,933,040
KGN Kogan.Com Ltd 4.33 24% $461,499,900
SYM Symbio Holdings Ltd 2.14 24% $178,464,880
FWD Fleetwood Ltd 1.495 24% $135,769,794
EX1 Exopharm Limited 0.016 23% $2,987,019
LDR Lode Resources 0.36 22% $21,238,158
HGV Hygrovest Limited 0.061 22% $13,107,377
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ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are the least-best performing ASX small cap stocks from 17-21 April:

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

Code Company Price % Week Market Cap
HHI Health House Int Ltd 0.005 -44% $891,123
FAU First Au Ltd 0.004 -43% $6,021,308
TIG Tigers Realm Coal 0.006 -40% $78,400,214
AR3 Austrare 0.375 -40% $35,290,586
NXM Nexus Minerals Ltd 0.105 -38% $35,799,864
GGE Grand Gulf Energy 0.013 -38% $19,922,964
GNM Great Northern 0.002 -33% $3,418,102
MEB Medibio Limited 0.001 -33% $4,150,594
PRM Prominence Energy 0.001 -33% $2,424,609
NCL Netccentric Ltd 0.05 -32% $16,697,688
PRS Prospech Limited 0.024 -31% $2,640,128
MOH Moho Resources 0.019 -30% $4,153,244
GLH Global Health Ltd 0.145 -28% $8,990,524
SYR Syrah Resources 1.135 -27% $860,740,992
DRA DRA Global Limited 1.53 -27% $83,286,716
KED Keypath Education 0.475 -26% $113,271,668
MDX Mindax Limited 0.185 -26% $418,827,029
HVM Happy Valley 0.026 -26% $5,874,818
AHN Athena Resources 0.003 -25% $4,281,870
GTG Genetic Technologies 0.003 -25% $34,624,974
KNB Koonenberrygold 0.042 -25% $3,787,822
MRD Mount Ridley Mines 0.003 -25% $23,354,649
XTC Xantippe Res Ltd 0.003 -25% $31,740,299
CAI Calidus Resources 0.2 -25% $92,305,676
S3N Sensore Ltd 0.295 -24% $7,831,120
SM1 Synlait Milk Ltd 1.495 -24% $315,850,500
DUN Dundasminerals 0.13 -24% $6,879,416
G1A Galena Mining 0.115 -23% $80,500,596
MPP Metro Perf.Glass Ltd 0.15 -23% $27,806,713
LVH Livehire Limited 0.085 -23% $30,204,057
MHK Metalhawk. 0.12 -23% $7,142,893
1ST 1St Group Ltd 0.007 -22% $8,121,200
ENT Enterprise Metals 0.007 -22% $4,935,565
PET Phoslock Env Tec Ltd 0.028 -22% $20,604,887
EM2 Eagle Mountain 0.125 -22% $35,071,189
SRN Surefire Rescs NL 0.018 -22% $31,627,270
HLX Helix Resources 0.0055 -21% $13,938,875
MYE Metarock Group Ltd 0.13 -21% $18,993,919
WSR Westar Resources 0.026 -21% $2,399,508
JXT Jaxstaltd 0.041 -21% $16,330,458
SRX Sierra Rutile 0.2225 -21% $112,422,658
JRV Jervois Global Ltd 0.0875 -20% $207,982,007
ARE Argonaut Resources 0.002 -20% $12,723,743
AUK Aumake Limited 0.004 -20% $4,207,121
CLT Cellnet Group 0.016 -20% $3,897,514
EAX Energy Action Ltd 0.2 -20% $5,397,720
EMU EMU NL 0.002 -20% $2,900,043
NTM Nt Minerals Limited 0.008 -20% $7,206,290
PUA Peak Minerals Ltd 0.004 -20% $4,165,506
RGS Regeneus Ltd 0.012 -20% $3,983,680
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