Closing Bell: ASX edges higher ahead of key US employment data

Local stocks tracked higher on Friday in a relatively calm session to end the week.

The ASX200 traded flat, edging higher by 0.36% into the close. Those gains were comfortably outpaced by the small end of town, as the microcap Emerging Companies index closed more than 1% higher.

Other markets in Asian trade also ambled along to end the week, with few catalysts ahead of all-important US employment data later tonight.

TODAY’S BIGGEST WINNERS

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Stocks highlighted in yellow rose after making announcements during intraday trade.

Code	Company	Price	%	Volume
CHR	Charger Metals	0.43	38.7%	6,359,461
ADV	Ardiden Ltd	0.011	37.5%	61,373,338
XST	Xstate Resources	0.004	33.3%	6,376,180
ARO	Astro Resources NL	0.005	25.0%	12,255,431
HCH	Hot Chili Ltd	0.044	22.2%	189,065,223
DM1	Desert Metals	0.425	21.4%	126,824
AOA	Ausmon Resorces	0.006	20.0%	2,224,999
GGE	Grand Gulf Energy	0.012	20.0%	3,282,680
PRM	Prominence Energy	0.012	20.0%	3,441,310
ONX	Orminexltd	0.043	19.4%	1,706,760
JDR	Jadar Resources	0.031	19.2%	12,760,829
AON	Apollo Minerals Ltd	0.115	17.3%	3,852,812
ESS	Essential Metals Ltd	0.17	17.2%	4,976,250
RAN	Range International	0.014	16.7%	15,125,663
WNX	Wellnex Life Ltd	0.145	16.0%	1,609,593
AUK	Aumake Limited	0.029	16.0%	1,319,383
CPV	Clearvue Technologie	0.365	15.9%	1,398,018
VUL	Vulcan Energy	13.25	15.4%	3,274,849
COY	Coppermoly Limited	0.015	15.4%	914,184
SMI	Santana Minerals Ltd	0.115	15.0%	130,288
LPD	Lepidico Ltd	0.023	15.0%	104,725,558

Minnow stock Xstate Resources (ASX:XST) ticked higher in afternoon trade, after releasing a Form 603 advising that Blue State Resources had become a substantial shareholder in the company.

And copper play Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) held its gains after announcing a new $40m capital raising to continue development of its Cortadera project in Chile.

TODAY’S BIGGEST LOSERS

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Stocks highlighted in yellow fell after making announcements during intraday trade.

Code	Company	Price	%	Volume
WOO	Wooboard Tech Ltd	0.001	-50.0%	12,004,179
T3D	333D Limited	0.001	-33.3%	1,250,000
OAK	Oakridge	0.0015	-25.0%	2,777,251
PCL	Pancontinental Oil	0.0015	-25.0%	2,928,333
VIC	Victory Mines Ltd	0.002	-20.0%	2,565,201
RML	Resolution Minerals	0.021	-19.2%	19,957,060
RXM	Rex Minerals Limited	0.3	-16.7%	11,404,244
CGB	Cann Global Limited	0.005	-16.7%	2,875,999
MSI	Multistack Internat.	0.051	-16.4%	211,175
PEK	Peak Resources	0.092	-16.4%	34,620,905
PX1	Plexure Group	0.52	-13.3%	72,690
JAL	Jameson Resources	0.1	-13.0%	50,000
POL	Polymetals Resources	0.135	-12.9%	470,340
ARN	Aldoro Resources	0.475	-12.8%	2,963,408
AUH	Austchina Holdings	0.007	-12.5%	63,346,537
GTG	Genetic Technologies	0.007	-12.5%	982,500
AIB	Aurora Glb Trust	0.11	-12.0%	87,142
KLR	Kaili Resources Ltd	0.022	-12.0%	120,039
SI6	SI6 Metals Limited	0.011	-12.0%	20,169,198

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY’VE MISSED

Only a matter of days after announcing to shareholders it would be included in a major uranium index, Alligator Energy (ASX:AGE) told its shareholders now it will not. While the company satisfies all requirements for inclusion, Solactive (the indice operator) blamed a price mis-match being identified after the initial advice on the index rebalancing. Alligator has made a formal request for a review.

Ausmon Resources (ASX:AOA) said its wholly owned subsidiary New Base Metals has been granted an exploration license near Broken Hill, NSW. The exploration license will be valid for 5 years to July 2026, and this brings the total number of exploration licences granted to the company in the Broken Hill area to five.

Releasing its full year results today was property classifieds website owner REA Group (ASX:REA). It announced revenue of $928 million, up 13% and a net profit of $318 million, up 18%.

BNPL company Humm (ASX:HUM), has partnered with Velocity Frequent Flyer to allow its users to earn Velocity points. Humm is only the second ASX BNPL stock to partner with a frequent flyer scheme following Afterpay (ASX:APT), which partnered with Qantas (ASX:QAN).

Family Zone Cyber Safety (ASX:FZO), will fork out $142 million to buy UK company Smothwall. Southwall provides cybersafety solutions for 12,400 schools and 6 million students and generates $30 million in annual recurring revenue.

AnteoTech (ASX:ADO), one of the few stocks involved in COVID-19 testing signed a distribution agreement to roll out its test in the Philippines. The Philippines is one of the worst hit nations in South East Asia having recorded 1.62 million cases and over 28,000 deaths.

Mayfield Childcare (ASX:MFD) reported a net profit of $1.25m for the half year, a 129% increase on pcp. This was off the back of $17.4m revenue, which was 6.1% higher than the prior comparative period.