• The ASX200 is down 0.24% dragged down by the tech sector
  • Eight out of eleven sectors were lower, with Tech leading the losers
  • CBA says the unemployment rate is at its lowest in 48 years

 

Despite creeping up earlier in the week the ASX 200 managed to sink down 0.24% today, with eight out of eleven sectors lower.

The laggards were led by Tech which dropped 2.43% and the only three sectors in the green were energy, up 1.33%, health care, up 1.11% and consumer staples, up 0.18%.

Our labour force data for July was released and the unemployment rate has fallen from 3.5% in June to 3.4% in July – that’s the lowest since August 1974.

And it’s possible the jobless rate could fall to 3%, so the tight job market will continue to place upward pressure on wage costs and complicate inflation fighting by the reserve bank, CBA chief economist Craig James says.

The number of unemployed fell by 20,200, the underemployment rate also fell 0.1% and the youth jobless rate fell to a record low of 7%, down from 7.9%.

Average weekly earnings data was also released, with the average Aussie taking home $1,769.80 in May, and the national average annual wage for full time employees is $92,030.

“The data confirms that wages are creeping, not leaping, higher,” James added. “But the job market remains tight.”

 

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.

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
LKY Locksleyresources 0.09 50% 23,592 $2,066,835
ANL Amani Gold Ltd 0.0015 50% 992,527 $23,693,441
ROO Roots Sustainable 0.005 43% 11,877,250 $2,623,714
TAS Tasman Resources Ltd 0.018 38% 3,971,292 $8,724,979
NGY Nuenergy Gas Ltd 0.03 36% 47,708 $32,581,021
MCT Metalicity Limited 0.004 33% 10,913,870 $10,376,118
MMG Monger Gold Ltd 0.395 32% 2,948,688 $12,012,000
BCA Black Canyon Limited 0.26 27% 640,089 $9,141,457
CNJ Conico Ltd 0.057 27% 177,594,464 $65,354,555
MEM Memphasys Ltd 0.038 27% 3,183,538 $23,765,350
GNM Great Northern 0.005 25% 2,852,085 $6,836,204
WBE Whitebark Energy 0.0025 25% 711,927 $11,296,438
GCR Golden Cross 0.011 22% 759,193 $9,875,305
HMG Hamelingoldlimited 0.195 22% 385,568 $17,600,000
RSH Respiri Limited 0.052 21% 654,886 $32,759,393
CBE Cobre 0.355 20% 27,837,837 $59,619,186
NMR Native Mineral Res 0.12 20% 8,208 $4,782,952
AXP AXP Energy Ltd 0.006 20% 233,000 $29,060,903
HFY Hubify Ltd 0.044 19% 225,000 $18,357,043
PPG Pro-Pac Packaging 0.46 18% 187,389 $31,633,060
CMX Chemx Materials 0.21 17% 418,241 $8,341,335
LNU Linius Tech Limited 0.007 17% 9,384,174 $13,508,198
NAE New Age Exploration 0.007 17% 190,000 $8,615,393
OEL Otto Energy Limited 0.014 17% 7,727,762 $57,540,117
RMX Red Mount Min Ltd 0.007 17% 6,932,993 $9,854,183
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In Small Caps news, sperm-spinning bio-tech Memphasys (ASX:MEM) has retreated from this morning’s monstrous 72.0%+ climb, settling at a far more sedate 27% for the day, after announcing a $3.36 million capital raising to accelerate commercialisation of its Felix IVF system and continue development of other product pipeline products.

Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) held steady with its 27% spike after announcing good news in a scoping study evaluating the potential development of the Flanagan Bore Manganese Project, in WA’s Pilbara region.

Recent hard-charger Cobre (ASX:CBE) charged hard again in a late rush on the finish line, on news that Triprop Holdings has received notification of the renewal of the five exploration licences which are held by Triprop subject to a binding earn-in agreement with Kalahari Metals Limited (KML) – it’s up a heart-warming 20%.

 

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.

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
DW8 DW8 Limited 0.009 -40% 78,762,961 $39,679,834
KLL Kalium Lakes Ltd 0.059 -36% 21,652,103 $108,717,524
AUH Austchina Holdings 0.008 -20% 3,045,462 $20,368,327
CFO Cfoam Limited 0.004 -20% 66,667 $3,669,203
MGG Mogul Games Grp Ltd 0.002 -20% 1,504,600 $8,158,603
VPR Volt Power Group 0.002 -20% 66,700 $23,361,334
ASP Aspermont Limited 0.018 -18% 1,691,222 $53,442,246
OCN Oceana Lithium 0.55 -16% 343,166 $21,958,875
BUX Buxton Resources Ltd 0.09 -14% 424,600 $15,312,055
AJQ Armour Energy Ltd 0.006 -14% 836,352 $15,809,156
KIN KIN Min NL 0.078 -14% 2,010,145 $78,818,189
RIE Riedel Resources Ltd 0.006 -14% 2,142,999 $7,501,949
88E 88 Energy Ltd 0.0095 -14% 118,977,914 $182,712,281
UVA Uvrelimited 0.16 -14% 115,000 $5,827,498
CTT Cettire 0.885 -13% 1,032,719 $388,862,984
OEQ Orion Equities 0.2 -13% 7,000 $3,599,322
SKN Skin Elements Ltd 0.02 -13% 68,628 $9,964,227
FAU First Au Ltd 0.007 -13% 742,500 $7,451,288
VAL Valor Resources Ltd 0.007 -13% 2,378,000 $29,268,278
OZM Ozaurum Resources 0.11 -12% 84,500 $8,714,500
92E 92Energy 0.415 -12% 1,152,504 $38,482,987
SFX Sheffield Res Ltd 0.435 -11% 579,971 $169,827,902
SI6 SI6 Metals Limited 0.008 -11% 1,384,666 $13,393,702
FOS FOS Capital Ltd 0.21 -11% 20,000 $3,126,943
DRE Dreadnought Resources Ltd 0.094 -10% 39,990,114 $319,308,523
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Losing ground today, and while it only took Oceana Lithium (ASX:OCN) a day to climb from $0.55 to $0.695 on Tuesday, it can take some small comfort in knowing that it took the company two full days to hand the whole lot back, falling 15.2% today.

 

WHAT YOU MAY’VE MISSED

Like a low-budget rap video, it’s just a couple of shorties this afternoon – the first of which is something that slipped through to the keeper yesterday but still warrants a mention.

Corella Resources (ASX:CR9) has kicked off a sonic resource definition drill program at its 100% owned flagship Tampu kaolin project, located near Beacon in Western Australia.

Corella’s all systems go on pushing the ~1,000m program into gearing, consisting of 50 to 80 sonic drill core holes, to an average depth of ~15m to a drill spacing of 80 x 80m in select locations, to produce 10 tonne composite sample for definitive metallurgical test work for offtake and to feed into feasibility studies.

And there’s something afoot among the mining contractors this afternoon, with both MACA (ASX:MLD) and NRW Holdings (ASX:NWH) hitting the picks on trading within minutes of each other, ostensibly to get the story straight on some pretty wild speculation that’s been doing the rounds.

In a nutshell: Thiess Mining Services and MACA have been toing and froing over a deal for a while now, the the Queensland-based Thiess plopping a fat $350m all-cash takeover bid on  the table that was all but rubber-stamped and ready to bank.

However, word on the street is that MACA’s been sent an 11th-hour bid by NRW, which has made the newspapers because we love our gossip the way we love our beer farts (“juicy”) and led to the furrowing of many brows.

So MACA and NRW have called a time out, we’re expecting more on this to make itself known between now and tomorrow, and no doubt someone around here will have a thing or two to say about it by the time the dust settles.

 

TRADING HALTS

Orecorp (ASX:ORR)OreCorp approaches, bearing news of a DFS from the far-flung Nyanzaga Gold Project in Tanzania

Invex Therapeutics (ASX:IXC)The FDA has replied to Invex’s postcard about starting its IIH EVOLVE Phase III clinical trial in the United States

MACA (ASX:MLD)Maca’s called for a timeout to respond to media gossip about a possible deal with NRW, despite an offer from Thiess all but being signed, sealed and delivered. Speaking of which…

NRW Holdings (ASX:NWH)NRW has also called for a water break, following some feverish back’n’forth on the same story. Curiouser and curiouser.

PTB Group (ASX:PTB) – Rumours are swirling around a potential control transaction, which PTB will tell us all about. Soon. Ish. Maybe.

And the following companies are in halts due to capital raises. We would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to calm down a bit, because if things keep going at this rate, there won’t be nearly enough capital to go around, and that means that some of you will need to bring in capital from home.

TEK-Ocean Group (ASX:T3K)Capital Raise.

CardieX (ASX:CDX)Capital Raise.

Stellar Resources (ASX:SRZ)Capital Raise.

Fertoz (ASX:FTZ)Capital Raise.

Nutritional Growth Solutions (ASX:NGS)Capital Raise.