Closing Bell: Any price is totally right

The ASX Emerging Companies Index (XEC) has ended 1.5% higher on Wednesday, driven by a new EV car as a few battery metal small caps locked in the right prices from a government ready to pay.

The ASX200 has also risen a further 1.1% driven by travel stocks, which got off their arses and did something positive for a change.

But first, a new message from the sponsor of China’s entirely independent stock markets:

JUST IN: Xinhua News reporting that China’s State Council is vowing to keep the stock market stable

— David Ingles (@DavidInglesTV) March 16, 2022

That’s going to be a great relief.

In fact it already is – after copping an absolute pasting over the last few days, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surged about 3% in early afternoon business – but after this little message from the state council, well… it’s reassuring to know that any price is right.

Lots of Asian markets borrowed a little courage from Wall Street today. It is easy to retake a string of hideous losses when the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 both gain about 2% and the tech-heavy one jumps 3%.

Oil prices are below the $US100 just a 5-6% loss; still nothing compared to the 20% crude’s given away since like Friday.

Iron ore – at the still dazzling price of $US135 – actually shed 7% overnight.

But the fact is today’s been all about the wee battery minerals players. The ones we, pun incoming, really dig.

The Feds have waved about ~$250 million at the whole EV supply chain thing the Prime Minister was taking the mickey out of until about six months ago.

First up is Queensland high purity alumina stock, Alpha HPA (ASX: A4N) which pocketed $45 million – shares up 20% to 60 cents.

Alpha.

Aussie Vanadium (ASX:AVL) pocketed $49 million – the share price has gone absolutely Muskwards, topping 2.4 cents.

Madness.

Also in the grants – Arafura Resources (ASX:ARU) which pocketed $30 million – share price has gone Elonesque – at 24 cents, this one is 47% higher.

Nice.

Let’s meet some of the contestants…

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP WINNERS

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

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.

Nanoveu (ASX:NVU) shares have jumped well over 16% today after the Aussie-innovator unveiled a disinfectant robot which blasts bugs via a fine mist of its e-water antiviral and antibacterial formulation.

The company’s newly launched e-water (I don’t know why: e-water…) anyway, the juice is said to contain complex oxygen compounds and does seem to kill viruses – 99.93% of COVID-19 after 30 minutes and 99.86% of Influenza A within 30 seconds.

It’s also said to have some very decent antibacterial efficacy and is chemical and alcohol free, halal certified, pH neutral and of food grade, which means that it is safe to inhale and does not cause eye or skin irritation.

It’s pretty much good to go anywhere, on anything at any time.

As touched on, Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) is off to the trots after securing a nigh $50 million grant under the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative Collaboration Stream. The firm says it will be put towards the… Australian Vanadium project. You’d be disappointed if it wasn’t, I guess.

And still going nuts on government goodies is Arafura Resources (ASX:ARU), closing out Wednesday arvo about 47% higher, after added a wee $30 million of go-get-’em support to get cracking on the firm’s rare earth separation plant over at Nolans.

TMK Energy (ASX:TMK) is up a tedious 7% after just getting on with the job in Mongolia – the explorer spudding the first of four coal seam gas exploration wells, targeting yummy, thick coal seams at Snow Leopard-1 – the first cat off the rank, others to follow soon.

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP LOSERS

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

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Field Solutions (ASX:FSG) has entered into an exclusive master distribution agreement with Canadian firm Star Solutions for the rural and regional telecommunications carrier’s range of integrated 4G and 5G LTE equipment in Australia and the other place… New Zealand.

“We’ve seen a massive increase in demand for cost-effective private and fast deployment LTE solutions in our core sectors of agri-business, mining and local and state-based emergency services,” CEO Andrew Roberts said.

EML Payments (ASX:EML) has entered the employee benefits market (EBM) in Europe through a multi-year deal with Up Spain, a subsidiary of Up Group, which offers employee benefits and incentive programs in 28 countries.

The company said the Aussie payments provider – big in Ireland – will initially cover meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions with the working to have the contract act as a basis for potential future growth in the future in Spain and other countries.

And over at Freelancer (ASX:FLN) the crowdsourcing and freelancing marketplace just won three major orders with US Government departments – including NASA – worth over US$1.5 million.

The task orders with the US Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology is worth US$1.5m, while the second and third ones are with NASA and worth in total ~US$46k.

The diversified battery anode materials company EcoGraf (ASX:EGR) has announced that its QTCQX shares are now eligible for electronic clearing through The Depository Trust Company (DTC).

The over the counter (OTC) market provides EGR with access to the US investment market, with no additional compliance requirements compared to traditional exchanges. The DTC is a subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, part of the US Federal Reserve System managing electronic clearing and settlement of publicly-traded companies.

TRADING HALTS

Vango Mining (ASX: VAN) – trading halt, pending the release of an announcement to rectify false and misleading information about the Company, released yesterday by a foreign domiciled company.

Middle Island Resources (ASX:MDI) – trading halt, pending the release of an announcement advising details relating to the sale of a significant company asset.

Boss Energy Limited (ASX: BOE) – trading halt ahead of proposed capital raising

Poseidon Nickel Limited (ASX:POS) – trading halt, pending an announcement by the Company regarding significant funding development with the Pure Battery Technologies Kalgoorlie battery metals refinery, in which they are partnering with the key developer.