Closing Bell: ASX continues its positive run in October, up 3.6pc in 3 weeks

The ASX is off to a positive start this week, putting its total gains over the past three weeks up to about 3.6%.

The ASX 200 closed 0.34% higher – at 7,441 points. Spurring today’s gains was energy with a 2.64% gain while resources and utilities both rose over 1%.

However, most other markets in Asia were down and investors will have a lot to ponder over the coming week.

Other things to look out for this week include inflation data on Wednesday, tomorrow’s listing of GQG (ASX:GQG) – the largest ASX IPO in several years – as well as many companies’ quarterly reports that are due at the end of this week.

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
BUX	Buxton Resources Ltd	0.105	52	9383458
BGT	Bio-Gene Technology	0.22	52	4231383
EUR	European Lithium Ltd	0.135	29	31294559
ITM	Itech Minerals Ltd	0.34	28	5932065
RD1	Registry Direct	0.035	25	147085
AER	Aeeris Ltd	0.2	25	18916
AEV	Avenira Limited	0.016	23	108431453
RLC	Reedy Lagoon Corp.	0.032	23	21669975
PNN	PepinNini Minerals	0.56	22	1645820
PLY	Playside Studios	0.7	21	2071067
ARD	Argent Minerals	0.041	21	8466427
RXH	Rewardle Holding Ltd	0.018	20	9313214
EMS	Eastern Metals	0.24	20	4537041
INF	Infinity Lithium	0.21	20	6552644
OVT	Ovato Limited	0.003	20	516125
TNG	TNG Limited	0.125	19	6395706
SI6	SI6 Metals Limited	0.013	18	6257183
KNM	Kneomedia Limited	0.02	18	2946307
FZR	Fitzroy River Corp	0.14	17	20471
JNO	Juno	0.14	17	98851
GGX	Gas2Grid Limited	0.0035	17	1932000
MTB	Mount Burgess Mining	0.007	17	1102883
AZL	Arizona Lithium Ltd	0.093	16	126075954
FCT	Firstwave Cloud Tech	0.093	16	1579675

Alicanto Minerals (ASX:AQI) rose after identifying a new zone with a world-class zinc and silver intersection from newly acquired historical data at its silver-lead-zinc project in Sweden.

Bio-Gene Technology (ASX:BGT), one of the few stocks in the insecticide targeting trade, climbed after signing a commercial agreement with Evergreen Garden Care.

Digital marketing marketing firm Rewardle (ASX:RXH) announced a new integration into its app.

Buxton Resources (ASX:BUX) rose after telling shareholders it had received interest in buying its Copper Wolf porphyry project in Arizona even though it stopped short of explicitly saying it would sell the project – for now.

And esports developer Playside Studios (ASX:PLY) rose after its quarterly, in which it reported record revenues.

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP LOSERS

(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
ANL	Amani Gold Ltd	0.002	-33	26899244
DAL	Dalaroometalsltd	0.18	-28	1355563
PCL	Pancontinental Energ	0.0015	-25	10014781
PRM	Prominence Energy	0.012	-25	48019166
CZL	Cons Zinc Ltd	0.051	-25	17822061
EMT	Emetals Limited	0.015	-21	4635700
BAS	Bass Oil Ltd	0.002	-20	9685001
CGB	Cann Global Limited	0.004	-20	8585276
RIM	Rimfire Pacific	0.008	-20	3345244
VIC	Victory Mines Ltd	0.002	-20	14814366
A8G	Australasian Gold	0.565	-18	1213146
IKW	Ikwezi Mining Ltd	0.77	-17	37337
CCE	Carnegie Cln Energy	0.0025	-17	8078129
LNY	Laneway Res Ltd	0.005	-17	413594
VPR	Volt Power Group	0.0025	-17	1718463
MHC	Manhattan Corp Ltd	0.011	-15	2119513
AD1	AD1 Holdings Limited	0.033	-13	2533518
TDO	3D Oil Limited	0.047	-13	2797555
SIT	Site Group Int Ltd	0.007	-13	708556
ADN	Andromeda Metals Ltd	0.185	-12	12681537
TTM	Titan Minerals	0.115	-12	4617540
M3M	M3Mininglimited	0.195	-11	22436
TMX	Terrain Minerals	0.008	-11	289056

Prominance Energy (ASX:PRM) and Dalaroo Metals (ASX:DAL) both fell after their latest exploration updates.

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) reached a deal to sell a 10% stake in Australia Pacific LNG for $2.12 billion to energy investor EIG. It will retain a 27.5% in the project and will guarantee EIG’s obligations to satisfy future cash calls made by Australia Pacific LNG.

AusNet (ASX:AST) has been granted due diligence to takeover bidder APA. However, the right is non-exclusive – competing bidder Brookfield is conducting due diligence too – and AusNet says there is no certainty that either will follow through with their proposed deal.

Still with takeover target companies, a consortium bidding for Smartgroup (ASX:SIQ) have walked away from discussions. This comes after the consortium cut its price from $10.35 per share to $9.25 per share following due diligence.

Telstra (ASX:TLS) partnered with the Australian government to buy the Digicel business in the South Pacific region for US$1.6 billion up front. $1.33 billion of which will be provided by the Australian government through non-recourse debt facilities and equity like securities but Telstra will own 100% of Digicel’s ordinary equity.

One of the ASX’s few legal stocks, AF Legal Group (ASX:AFL) is now present in every capital city on mainland Australia. It announced the acquisition of 51% of Darwin law firm Withnalls Lawyers, which will result in AF Legal setting up shop in the Northern Territory.