Pic: Getty Images
Closing Bell: ASX continues its flat run; Wesfarmers makes $167b bid for Silk Laser; Clay REE grades keep coming
News
share
- The S&P ASX 200 follows US markets closing fairly flat up 0.05%, while the S&P XEC is down 0.58%
- Wesfarmers launched a $167m buyout proposal for non-surgical aesthetics clinic operator SILK Laser Australia
- Moho Resources leads winners after hitting clay hosted REE grades up to 1890ppm in maiden drilling at Peak Charles project
It was another fairly flat day for the S&P ASX 200, which closed up 0.05% following the direction of Wall Street overnight. The S&P ASX Emerging Companies index (XEC) – a benchmark for Australia’s micro-cap companies – fell 0.58%.
Investors seemed to be digesting news the Reserve Bank of Australia is facing its biggest shakeup in decades. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers today released “An RBA fit for the future” 294-page report with 51 recommendations following the first formal review into Australia’s central bank since the 1990s.
Six of the 11 ASX sectors were in the red today. Financials led the gainers up 1.42%, followed by Consumer Discretionary adding 1.27% and Real Estate, up 0.84%.
Leading the laggards was Materials, down 1.94% followed by Energy, which lost 0.37% and utilities down 0.34%.
On Twitter @jondvdsn1 has been following the lithium prices.
So uh.. (Source: Bell Potter) #Lithium #ASX #Auspol #FinTwit #Trading #Finance #Money #EVs #Tesla #Musk pic.twitter.com/kkSasnzCt0
— Davidson_Shrugged (@jondvdsn1) April 20, 2023
FROM THE HEADLINES
The Federal Government is pushing us to swap out our combustion engines and switch to electric vehicles as we lag behind globally. There continues to be discussion and reaction to news the government will set a fuel-efficiency standard for new cars as part of its national electric vehicle strategy.
The standard will set a maximum limit on the CO2 emissions of each car manufacturer, based on the types of vehicles they sell and aims to encourage car manufacturers to sell more low-emission vehicles, including EVs. The exact level of the CO2 limit is yet to be determined.
Australia’s EV sales have been largely lagging the rest of the world, with all-electric cars accounting for less than 4% of new car sales. In contrast, the global average for all-electric car new sales is 9% and the UK’s is 15%.
The fuel-efficiency standard is expected to help boost demand for low-emission vehicles, including EVs, and reduce the carbon footprint of Australia’s transportation sector.
However, weighing in on the debate are various stakeholders who reckon the government must set ambitious targets to ensure the success of the standard.
There seems to be consensus that investment in the necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations, will be needed support uptake of EVs in Australia but we should catch up to the rest of the world.
READ Tomorrow: ‘Mine it here, we should make it here’ – The strong case for integrated battery economy in Australia
ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS
Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks:
Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:
| Code | Company | Price | % | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOH | Moho Resources | 0.027 | 50% | 84,550,391 | $3,737,920 |
| CCE | Carnegie Cln Energy | 0.0015 | 50% | 1,020,000 | $15,642,574 |
| MEB | Medibio Limited | 0.0015 | 50% | 605,426 | $4,150,594 |
| SIT | Site Group Int Ltd | 0.004 | 33% | 13,326,920 | $3,903,735 |
| NYM | Narryer Metals | 0.1175 | 31% | 289,696 | $2,743,875 |
| HRE | Heavy Rare Earths | 0.145 | 26% | 351,703 | $6,841,112 |
| AJQ | Armour Energy Ltd | 0.005 | 25% | 4,900,633 | $15,050,431 |
| BDG | Black Dragon Gold | 0.045 | 25% | 231,385 | $7,224,122 |
| EMU | EMU NL | 0.0025 | 25% | 27,141 | $2,900,043 |
| PUA | Peak Minerals Ltd | 0.005 | 25% | 274,220 | $4,165,506 |
| TYM | Tymlez Group | 0.01 | 25% | 6,413,786 | $8,737,562 |
| SLA | Silk Laser Australia | 3 | 24% | 1,038,603 | $128,553,248 |
| TSK | Task Group Holdings | 0.37 | 23% | 467,778 | $106,448,678 |
| NAG | Nagambie Resources | 0.048 | 20% | 244,986 | $21,427,752 |
| WMG | Western Mines | 0.46 | 19% | 2,622,372 | $15,797,513 |
| APS | Allup Silica Ltd | 0.062 | 19% | 46,346 | $2,000,809 |
| 1AG | Alterra Limited | 0.013 | 18% | 5,000 | $7,662,078 |
| KOR | Korab Resources | 0.026 | 18% | 2,116,546 | $8,075,100 |
| DCG | Decmil Group Limited | 0.23 | 18% | 284,261 | $30,332,682 |
| WSR | Westar Resources | 0.033 | 18% | 69,178 | $2,584,085 |
| KLI | Killiresources | 0.068 | 17% | 492,494 | $1,947,350 |
| W2V | Way2Vat | 0.014 | 17% | 236,642 | $2,641,691 |
| SFG | Seafarms Group Ltd | 0.007 | 17% | 2,443,303 | $29,019,595 |
| EMC | Everest Metals Corp | 0.085 | 16% | 660,130 | $9,448,617 |
| POL | Polymetals Resources | 0.335 | 16% | 371,338 | $13,102,981 |
Moho Resources (ASX:MOH) is leading the winners chart today after announcing clay-hosted REE grades up to 1890ppm Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) in maiden drilling at the Peak Charles project, in the clay REE hub of southern WA.
Follow-up drilling is now being planned, with this maiden 81-hole (av depth: 22m) campaign restricted to road reserves and existing tracks due to limited land access.
The Peak Charles is next to ground held by OD6 Metals (ASX:OD6) , which announced bonanza grades up to 6605ppm “with extensive clay thickness of between 20 and 80m”.
Stockhead’s Reuben Adam’s goes into more detail about MOH’s latest announcement in his Resources Top 5.
ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS
Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks:
Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:
| Code | Company | Price | % | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1A | Galena Mining | 0.1525 | -34% | 7,860,079 | $142,424,131 |
| AQX | Alice Queen Ltd | 0.001 | -33% | 250,000 | $3,795,431 |
| PRM | Prominence Energy | 0.0015 | -25% | 1,017,461 | $4,849,218 |
| CHK | Cohiba Min Ltd | 0.004 | -20% | 6,424,742 | $8,866,221 |
| VAL | Valor Resources Ltd | 0.004 | -20% | 19,236 | $18,865,174 |
| VBC | Verbrec Limited | 0.105 | -19% | 134,000 | $28,791,902 |
| WEC | White Energy Company | 0.085 | -19% | 2,536 | $4,259,776 |
| FTC | Fintech Chain Ltd | 0.015 | -17% | 46,361 | $11,713,853 |
| LRV | Larvottoresources | 0.175 | -17% | 1,921,269 | $14,123,492 |
| CTO | Citigold Corp Ltd | 0.005 | -17% | 57,000 | $17,241,955 |
| IEC | Intra Energy Corp | 0.005 | -17% | 50,000 | $4,234,690 |
| TMB | Tambourahmetals | 0.115 | -15% | 5,955 | $5,561,001 |
| MXO | Motio Ltd | 0.035 | -15% | 100,000 | $10,718,821 |
| BUS | Bubalusresources | 0.15 | -14% | 36,893 | $4,982,456 |
| ADG | Adelong Gold Limited | 0.012 | -14% | 1,447,561 | $7,473,512 |
| EDE | Eden Inv Ltd | 0.006 | -14% | 6,275,747 | $20,520,111 |
| GNM | Great Northern | 0.003 | -14% | 312,500 | $5,981,678 |
| PLG | Pearlgullironlimited | 0.03 | -14% | 39,509 | $5,474,568 |
| FG1 | Flynngold | 0.073 | -14% | 768,321 | $8,744,251 |
| USL | Unico Silver Limited | 0.1475 | -13% | 386,241 | $42,390,719 |
| FBM | Future Battery | 0.1 | -13% | 7,234,865 | $49,202,190 |
| AVW | Avira Resources Ltd | 0.0035 | -13% | 1,549,249 | $8,535,160 |
| LNU | Linius Tech Limited | 0.0035 | -13% | 1,906,809 | $12,918,985 |
| XTC | Xantippe Res Ltd | 0.0035 | -13% | 10,248,010 | $42,320,399 |
LAST ORDERS
Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) has launched a ~$167m buyout proposal for SILK Laser Australia (ASX:SLA) through its wholly owned subsidiary Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Pty Ltd (API).
Wesfarmers owns Target, Kmart and Officeworks and has been building its own healthcare sector, starting with the buy up of Priceline pharmacy chain owner API for $763m in March 2022.
WES said it’s entered a Transaction Process Deed with SLA in relation to its non-binding, indicative proposal to acquire 100% of shares outstanding for $3.15 cash/share, by way of a Scheme of Arrangement.
SLA is one of the largest non-surgical aesthetics clinic operators in Australia and New Zealand with more than 140 clinics with CEO Martin Perelman telling Stockhead’s Eddy Sunarto the nature of its business is in fact “essential” as opposed to “discretionary” and therefore “recession resilient”.
Gas-focused Tamboran Resources (ASX:TBN) is pretty happy today announcing the Northern Territory Supreme Court dismissed Rallen Australia’s appeal regarding the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s decision to grant it a land-access agreement on EP 136 in the Beetaloo Basin.
TBN said the decision validates the Land Access and Compensation Agreement approved by the NTCAT in May 2022, allowing Tamboran to conduct exploration activities in EP 136 under the corresponding Environmental Management Plans.
The Beetaloo/McArthur Basin is one of the most active exploration and production areas in Australia with TBN holding assets including EP 136, EP 143, EP 161 and EP(A) 197.
TRADING HALTS
Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) – Pending announcement of a proposed private placement to targeted investors.
Nexion Group (ASX:NNG) – Pending announcement of a capital raise.
Pacific Nickel Mines (ASX:PNM) – Also pending a capital raise announcement.
Wide Open Agriculture (ASX:WOA) – Pending release of a clarification to yesterday’s announcement.
Grand Gulf Energy (ASX:GGE) – Pending announcement regarding the Jesse-2 well.
Dart Mining (ASX:DTM) – Pending release of a placement announcement.
