Closing Bell: ASX finishes flat as investors ponder inflation and booster shots

The ASX got off to a solid start today but the rally eased following the release of inflation data.

Core inflation rose at the fastest pace since 2015 leading to speculation that the tightening of monetary policy could come sooner than 2024, which had been the RBA’s persistent promise based on the assumption that that is how long it’d take for inflation to get back within its target range.

And on the day we hit 72% of the over 16 population fully vaccinated, the TGA has approved booster shots. These are to be taken six months after the second dose and it is set to be Pfizer regardless of what vaccine you had at first dose.

After rallying as much as 0.4%, the ASX 200 closed just 0.07% up at 7,448 points. Resources and consumer staples fell by 1.2% and 1.94% respectively though telcos rose 1.9% and health rose 1.18%.

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
PCL	Pancontinental Energ	0.0015	50	2133000
WOO	Wooboard Tech Ltd	0.003	50	228452943
YPB	YPB Group Ltd	0.003	50	320076725
AEV	Avenira Limited	0.022	47	76600694
SHP	South Harz Potash	0.18	29	8713040
BAS	Bass Oil Ltd	0.0025	25	7773337
XST	Xstate Resources	0.005	25	3389028
BUX	Buxton Resources Ltd	0.115	22	1036653
RWD	Reward Minerals Ltd	0.17	21	1696875
MGL	Magontec Limited	0.58	21	845119
8CO	8Common Limited	0.205	21	2539012
HNG	HGL Limited	0.315	19	288288
OPN	Oppenneg	0.175	17	232671
GTG	Genetic Technologies	0.007	17	1588245
MNS	Magnis Energy Tech	0.435	16	19761036
GCY	Gascoyne Res Ltd	0.48	16	3131193
TZL	TZ Limited	0.15	15	3656993
SPN	Sparc Tech Ltd	1.03	15	2498856
AQS	Aquis Ent Ltd	0.2	14	22127
STM	Sunstone Metals Ltd	0.068	13	20956946
ICI	Icandy Interactive	0.105	13	5774638

YPB (ASX:YPB) signed a three year take or pay supply contract that would see it supply anti-counterfeit tech to Shenzhen-based e-cigarette company Kingtons.

Sparc Technologies (ASX:SPN) rose after entering into a joint venture to develop green hydrogen technology.

Investment company HGL (ASX:HNG) climbed off the back of its quarterly results.

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
NPM	Newpeak Metals	0.001	-50	10143801
ALT	Analytica Limited	0.001	-33	2000000
ANL	Amani Gold Ltd	0.002	-33	29309827
CAD	Caeneus Minerals	0.014	-22	93558560
CDA	Codan Limited	10.95	-19	3961411
ZGL	Zicom Group Limited	0.11	-15	272966
ERL	Empire Resources	0.011	-15	339873
TSO	Tesoro Resources Ltd	0.089	-15	5119619
FCT	Firstwave Cloud Tech	0.09	-14	1543100
AUH	Austchina Holdings	0.006	-14	9616398
GGX	Gas2Grid Limited	0.003	-14	2000000
LSA	Lachlan Star Ltd	0.034	-13	45658686
KCN	Kingsgate Consolid.	1.73	-13	4124026
MRD	Mount Ridley Mines	0.007	-13	15588978
M2R	Miramar	0.175	-13	347340
CMD	Cassius Mining Ltd	0.021	-13	22390687
NUH	Nuheara Limited	0.021	-13	11005870
TEM	Tempest Minerals	0.021	-13	3558842
CBL	Control Bionics	0.5	-12	159590
ARD	Argent Minerals	0.036	-12	6639357
A2M	The A2 Milk Company	6.03	-12	24295770
LKE	Lake Resources	0.86	-12	18590707

Tesoro Resources (ASX:TSO) dropped due to a capital raising.

A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) dropped after unveiling its growth plans.

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Vection (ASX:VR1) announced it would be participating in the Webex One conference later this week. It partnered with event organisers allowing event participants to collaborate around 3D content.

Toys R Us (ASX:TOY) – the company formerly known as Funtastic that changed its name after acquiring the Toys R US brand rights – is bringing the brand back to the UK. The company signed an exclusive license for rights to the the digital and physical retail commerce outlets of the brand in the Old Dart.

BNPL stock Openpay (ASX:OPY) launched its OpyPay consumer solution in the US market. It allows longer payment terms – up to 24 months – and will start in the healthcare market.

8common (ASX:8CO) signed a $542,000 contract with the Australian government as part of the government’s GovERP program. Its Expense8 solution was selected as GovERP’s exclusive travel and expanses management solution.

Rhinomed (ASX:RNO) received ethics approval for a new post market trial with St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne for its Rhinoswab COVID-19 test. This trial will compare the sensitivity, specificity and other measures of PCR test performance of Rhinoswab compared to the traditional swab and saliva tests.