And it’s back-to-back gains for the ASX 200 after commodity prices and buying more stuff in December led to a smart 3.4% gain in quarterly GDP.

Heading into the close, US futures are on the up. Iron ore is smashing it – up almost 4% to a China-maddening $US145.

Oil prices are certainly spikey. In fact for the last 48 hours Brent crude has been having an upward spasm that’s driven it close to an eight-year high.

And Bitcoin, ahh Bitcoin.

May I be the first to say – *привет и добро пожаловать в россию!

It’s up about 6 more per cent to over $US44k.

And finally, the ASX Emerging Companies (XEC) index is 0.8% for the better.

*(hello and welcome to Russia)

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP WINNERS

(Stocks highlighted in yellow rose after making announcements during the trading day).

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Today’s Charlie Sheen stock is Golden Cross Resources (ASX:GCR) up like a champion on no discernable news other than really proving itself to be one of February biggest movers.

This formerly tepid, kind of snoozy China-backed copper-gold explorer came out of a two-and-a-half-year suspension in February and has been hitting them out of the middle of the bat a la Matthew Hayden or Justin Langer ever since.

Also higher today after reporting some “outstanding” lithium and rubidium rock chip results at its Manindi project in WA is Metals Australia (ASX:MLS).

Staying with the commodities – they’re like our best resource –  Cobalt Blue(ASX:COB). The company’s Broken Hill cobalt project  — the only large-scale, non-African, green-field primary-cobalt kicking-butt project in the world — has received Major Project Status (MPS) from the Federal Government.

CEO Joe Kaderavek says MPS will greatly assist COB raise cash – and generally get to tell everyone this here project is backed by the Australian Government.

“COB can now boast both Made in Australia and Backed by Australia.”

The $165 m market cap stock is up 25%. Also, the cobalt price recently hit $US34/lb.

TSX-ASX listed LionOne Metals (ASX:LLO) is up over 17% and has gone hard in developing the high-grade ~650,000oz Tuvatu gold project in Fiji.

There’s a bunch more rigs on site and LLO says it’s in the midst of ramping up infill and extensional drilling at the project.

There was $39m Canadian in the bank at the end of December.

Finally the Godolphin Resources (ASX:GRL) share price rallied up over 8% today after signing a farm-in and JV with ESX9 to earn up to a 75% interest in the Narraburra Rare Earth Element Project.

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP LOSERS

(Stocks highlighted in yellow fell after making announcements during the trading day).

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It’s not entirely clear who Amani (ASX:ANL) pissed off today, but they’re down 50% and it’s not looking terrific.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY’VE MISSED

Mighty Kingdom Limited (ASX:MKL) with their co-development partners Funcom Oslo AS today released Conan Chop Chop.

That’s a game available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch and it is ‘hotly anticipated.’
It’s also Mighty Kingdom’s first developed for console and PC. After a successful playable debut at last week’s ‘Steam Next Fest’, Conan Chop Chop was ranked 1 for upcoming Action Rogue-Like Games.

Allied health services provider Healthia (ASX:HLA) says it’s settled its acquisition of eight LensPro Optometrists in South East Queensland for near $7m – it’s Healthia’s largest takeover since The Optical Company in 2020, with its more than 41 locations.

TRADING HALTS

Ausgold Limited (ASX:AUC) – pending capital raise

Celsius Resources Limited (ASX:CLA) – pending capital raise