Closing Bell: ASX dealmakers don’t go on holiday, it seems

ASX 200 up ~0.7%, nearing record high
Small Cap Winners: EUR, ATR
Small Cap Losers: BME, R3D

The ASX 200 Index was up Thursday, gaining 0.70% on classic pre-New Year’s ‘lower than normal’ volume.

We are close to an all-time record.

The S&P/ASX 200 index on Thursday finished up 53,1 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 7614.3 – 14.6 points away from record high set August 13 2021#ausecon #auspol

— Craig James (@craigjamesOZ) December 28, 2023

ASX 200 index at 20-month high
Another test of record level
There have been about four previous attempts
Optimism that the US is winning the battle against inflation is main catalyst for global Santa Claus rally #ausecon #auspol

— Craig James (@craigjamesOZ) December 28, 2023

10 out of 11 sectors were higher, led by IT with a 1.03% gain.

TRADING HALTS

These stocks entered trading halts Thursday and are expected out in the coming days:

Calima Energy (ASX:CE1) – sale of the Blackspur assets

CZR Resources (ASX:CZR) – corporate transaction in relation to the company’s Robe Mesa iron ore project

THURSDAY’S LARGE CAP MOVERS

Winners 🚀

Champion Iron (ASX:CIA) +4%

Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) +2.5%

Auckland International Airport (ASX:AIA) +2.5%

Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) +2%

Losers 💩

Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) -3.5%

Tuas (ASX:TUA) -3%

De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) -2.5%

Cettire (ASX:CTT) -2.5%

SMALL CAP LEADERS

Today’s best performing ASX small cap stocks:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

CODE	COMPANY	PRICE	%	VOLUME	MARKET CAP
ME1	Melodiol Glb Health	0.002	100%	840,669	$4,728,824
EUR	European Lithium Ltd	0.097	35%	21,960,890	$100,385,221
FAU	First Au Ltd	0.004	33%	621,262	$4,985,980
QUE	Queste Communication	0.04	29%	223,785	$839,242
ATR	Astron Corp Ltd	0.58	27%	51,169	$71,336,820
RNO	Rhinomed Ltd	0.03	25%	243,119	$6,857,273
TX3	Trinex Minerals Ltd	0.0075	25%	3,253,832	$8,922,148
ESR	Estrella Res Ltd	0.005	25%	410,245	$7,037,487
KNM	Kneomedia Limited	0.0025	25%	200,000	$3,066,543
WZR	Wisr Ltd	0.04	25%	9,681,513	$43,667,666
AHI	Advanced Health	0.135	23%	815,513	$25,723,936
T3D	333D Limited	0.028	22%	240,187	$2,747,234
CR9	Corellares	0.023	21%	144,267	$8,836,727
ADS	Adslot Ltd.	0.003	20%	695,016	$8,061,239
SFG	Seafarms Group Ltd	0.006	20%	135,000	$24,182,996
M24	Mamba Exploration	0.05	19%	558,400	$2,561,300
SBR	Sabre Resources	0.032	19%	2,209,263	$9,776,397
EMS	Eastern Metals	0.039	18%	78,912	$2,720,066
AUN	Aurumin	0.026	18%	1,495,381	$7,005,748
BDG	Black Dragon Gold	0.033	18%	158,529	$5,618,762
EOF	Ecofibre Limited	0.165	18%	9,667	$53,042,346
DCL	Domacom Limited	0.02	18%	424	$7,403,530
RC1	Redcastle Resources	0.014	17%	93,000	$3,939,410
RIE	Riedel Resources Ltd	0.0035	17%	2,603,328	$6,178,221
RIL	Redivium Limited	0.007	17%	656,000	$16,385,129

After going back and forth with the all-powerful SEC for more than a year European Lithium (ASX:EUR) finally has permission to sell its Wolfsberg lithium project to a SPAC called Sizzle.

Also known as blank check companies, SPACs are formed with no assets for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company.

The resultant NASDAQ listed co, Critical Metals Corp, will own the small but advanced 12.8Mt Wolfsberg project.

A DFS earlier this year projected an integrated Wolfsberg hydroxide operation would cost US$866m to build, and have breakeven operating costs of US$17,016/t.

Upon the closing of the transaction, EUR will be issued US$750 million worth of shares in Critical Metals, giving it majority ownership.

Mineral sands miner Astron (ASX:ATR) has inked a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the US’ largest uranium producer, Energy Fuels, to jointly develop the 2.6 billion tonne Donald rare earths and mineral sands project in Victoria.

Donald could be a globally significant, long-life supplier of critical rare earth elements (REE), including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium as well as zirconium and titanium minerals, ATR says.

Energy Fuels to invest A$180 million to earn 49% of the JV, plus issue ATR US$17.5m worth of shares.

SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Today’s worst performing ASX small cap stocks:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

CODE	COMPANY	PRICE	%	VOLUME	MARKET CAP
BME	Blackmountainenergy	0.012	-43%	3,892,834	$8,047,708
AGR	Aguia Res Ltd	0.017	-26%	4,704,362	$11,626,060
AVW	Avira Resources Ltd	0.0015	-25%	2,113,605	$4,267,580
MHC	Manhattan Corp Ltd	0.003	-25%	1,439,427	$11,747,919
EXT	Excite Technology	0.007	-22%	496,539	$11,963,176
R3D	R3D Resources Ltd	0.041	-21%	94,858	$7,923,322
HPC	Thehydration	0.02	-20%	62,710	$6,628,545
CHK	Cohiba Min Ltd	0.002	-20%	684,839	$6,325,575
ERL	Empire Resources	0.004	-20%	100,000	$5,564,675
AML	Aeon Metals Ltd.	0.009	-18%	248,800	$12,060,407
JPR	Jupiter Energy	0.018	-18%	9,999	$27,947,266
HCD	Hydrocarbon Dynamic	0.005	-17%	1,620,000	$3,897,995
SI6	SI6 Metals Limited	0.005	-17%	13,987,903	$11,963,157
TSO	Tesoro Gold Ltd	0.027	-16%	1,411,707	$36,831,691
DYM	Dynamicmetalslimited	0.14	-15%	58,800	$5,775,000
HOR	Horseshoe Metals Ltd	0.006	-14%	58,000	$4,504,351
BKY	Berkeley Energia Ltd	0.295	-13%	488,243	$151,570,883
NES	Nelson Resources.	0.0035	-13%	650,000	$2,454,377
CC9	Chariot Corporation	0.53	-12%	303,757	$44,365,599
DGR	DGR Global Ltd	0.023	-12%	725,585	$27,136,030
ZMI	Zinc of Ireland NL	0.016	-11%	2,997	$3,836,597
HFY	Hubify Ltd	0.017	-11%	705,229	$9,426,590
PPK	PPK Group Limited	0.895	-11%	104,629	$89,289,293
LGP	Little Green Pharma	0.13	-10%	29,876	$43,513,519
KLI	Killiresources	0.045	-10%	105,000	$2,978,753

~$5m capped oil and gas play Black Mountain Energy (ASX:BME) has lodged a formal request to be removed from the official list of the ASX because “the market has significantly undervalued [the company] and its assets.”

The company listed on the ASX in December 2021 after an $11m IPO.