Closing Bell: Evergrande suspends trading, ASX rallies anyway

The ASX had a positive start to the week, driven by financial and travel stocks, despite global markets being overshadowed by the latest developments in the Evergrande saga.

Evergrande’s shares in Hong Kong were suspended from trading after a missed interest payment on its debt bill – which stands at roughly $400 billion.

While Hong Kong fell 2% in response, the ASX shrugged it off. The ASX 200 rose 1.29% to close at 7,279 points although the ASX Emerging Companies Index retreated 0.11%, closing at 2,521.

The top sector was financials which rose 2.55% and tourism stocks had a positive trading day too. The worst sector was health which fell 0.49%.

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
JGH	Jade Gas Holdings	0.077	941	37218614
ITG	Intega Group Limited	0.87	53	18493776
CCE	Carnegie Cln Energy	0.003	50	46350990
OVT	Ovato Limited	0.003	50	7513342
AKN	Auking Mining Ltd	0.3	43	30183094
GTG	Genetic Technologies	0.009	29	26436833
TIG	Tigers Realm Coal	0.023	28	21339008
OEX	Oilex Ltd	0.005	25	133333
YPB	YPB Group Ltd	0.0025	25	983536
ACP	Audalia Res Ltd	0.011	22	1562664
NCR	Nucoal Resources Ltd	0.011	22	12588387
IQ3	Iq3Corp Limited	0.14	22	24599
ATS	Australis Oil & Gas	0.068	21	16613357
DOR	Doriemus PLC	0.3	20	600469
ATL	Apollo Tourism	0.7	19	1062501
YAL	Yancoal Aust Ltd	3.54	18	618699
PAK	Pacific American Hld	0.02	18	12737470
M24	Mamba Exploration	0.2	18	188318
RRR	Revolverresources	0.4	18	1215580
ATU	Atrum Coal Ltd	0.054	17	2397569
TKM	Trek Metals Ltd	0.14	17	1042951
LAM	Laramide Res Ltd	0.98	15	11610

Topping the bourse today was High Grade Metals which has recapitalised as Jade Gas (ASX:JGH) and refocused to gas exploration in Mongolia.

WA base metals explorer Auking Mining (ASX:AKN) rocketed off the back of its first assay results from a drilling program at its Koongie Park project. Headline results included 124m at 1.03% copper, 1.08% zinc, 1.54% lead and 50g/t silver.

Intega Group (ASX:ITG) climbed after receiving a takeover offer from Dutch engineering certification company Kiwa.

And one of the first companies to release its quarterly cash flow and activities report, Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG), climbed after announcing a material increase in cash receipts for the September quarter to $850,000 from $68,000 in the June quarter.

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	5999999
AWJ	Auric Mining	0.1	-23	343104
XTE	Xtek Limited	0.285	-22	983349
ALT	Analytica Limited	0.002	-20	2050
FYI	FYI Resources Ltd	0.425	-20	16700186
TMK	Tamaska Oil Gas Ltd	0.009	-18	27224464
HNR	Hannans Ltd	0.028	-18	47698890
FG1	Flynngold	0.15	-14	205155
MSI	Multistack Internat.	0.039	-13	411528
AQC	Auspaccoal Ltd	0.13	-13	7556
NVX	Novonix Limited	5.7	-13	7474883
KNM	Kneomedia Limited	0.014	-13	2242027
TDO	3D Oil Limited	0.05	-12	957900
BRV	Big River Gold Ltd	0.25	-12	593943
PUR	Pursuit Minerals	0.037	-12	37793320
BUR	Burleyminerals	0.225	-12	227753
JPR	Jupiter Energy	0.045	-12	1144221
FRX	Flexiroam Limited	0.032	-11	644967
LSR	Lodestar Minerals	0.008	-11	6993626
ROO	Roots Sustainable	0.008	-11	572591
ERW	Errawarra Resources	0.225	-11	100000

Xtek (ASX:XTE) fell off the back of a capital raising – completed at a discount to nearly 30% of its share price last week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY’VE MISSED

Murray Cod Australia (ASX:MCA) announced it had recommenced exports to the USA and Japan while Europe and the UK were due to recommence soon. It also expanded its deal with Woolworths (ASX:WOW) to cover 150 supermarkets, up from 15.

Vita Life Science (ASX:VLS) gave its shareholders a trading update, tipping full year sales to be between $51 and $53 million and a pre-tax profit of $10 million. The company credits increased consumer interest and purchases in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) has purchased Plush-Think Sofas for $103 million. Nick Scali says the purchase will increase its showroom count by 46 to 108 and that it expects it to be earning accretive in the first full year of ownership.

Sensor monitoring group Universal Biosensors (ASX:UBI) signed a French distribution agreement for its wine testing platform device Sentia with Vivelys. Vivelys is part of the Oeneo Group which has over 10,000 customers worldwide.

Big River Industries (ASX:BRI) will be acquiring the trading business and assets of Illawarra-based United Building Products. The company will pay $9 million and will close the deal in early November.