Closing Bell: ASX records best day in over 2 months

The ASX finished 0.67% higher, marking the best performance by the Australian bourse since early October.

Almost all sectors finished higher with energy and tech – two sectors under siege in recent weeks – recording gains of 2.07% and 1.9% respectively.

Travel stocks gained too in light of uncertainty decreasing about the omicron variant. Also soothing investors today was the RBA keeping interest rate at a record low and committing to continued bond buying until at least mid-February.

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
NEU	Neuren Pharmaceut.	3.25	91	9292005
BAS	Bass Oil Ltd	0.002	33	11775256
RVS	Revasum	0.585	33	449627
PH2	Pure Hydrogen Corp	0.52	25	8268446
CCE	Carnegie Cln Energy	0.0025	25	13442485
CGB	Cann Global Limited	0.0025	25	4878842
AHI	Adv Human Imag Ltd	1.09	25	1513549
EMP	Emperor Energy Ltd	0.051	24	1488987
IOU	Ioupay Limited	0.185	23	6836842
RMI	Resource Mining Corp	0.033	22	3111637
NNG	Nexion Group	0.18	20	454314
ADR	Adherium Ltd	0.012	20	2340364
BKT	Black Rock Mining	0.22	19	4807653
SKT	Sky Network	2	18	289098
RDS	Redstone Resources	0.013	18	1688386
CXU	Cauldron Energy Ltd	0.027	17	468127
GFN	Gefen Int	0.59	17	498591
REZ	Resourc & En Grp Ltd	0.042	17	328676
TNT	Tesserent Limited	0.175	17	8554153
LCT	Living Cell Tech.	0.007	17	11412787
ABE	Ausbondexchange	0.615	16	845287
QXR	Qx Resources Limited	0.022	16	6114515
A1G	African Gold Ltd.	0.19	15	434512

Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU) nearly doubled off the back of its Phase III clinical trial results.

Australian East Coast clean energy company Pure Hydrogen (ASX:PH2), in conjunction with H2X Global has launched a range of hydrogen fuel cell power generation units called Power H2 that can supply electricity without any emissions.

In resources, African Gold (ASX:A1G) rose after its latest exploration results.

TODAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP LOSERS

(Stocks highlighted in yellow fell after making announcements during the trading day).

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.

Code	Company	Price	%	Volume
WOO	Wooboard Tech Ltd	0.001	-33	250670
RD1	Registry Direct	0.027	-23	733312
EN1	Engage:Bdr Limited	0.002	-20	868
OAR	OAR Resources Ltd	0.008	-20	13601459
RBR	RBR Group Ltd	0.004	-20	515820
OEQ	Orion Equities	0.15	-19	41005
PRM	Prominence Energy	0.009	-18	50273852
GGX	Gas2Grid Limited	0.0025	-17	325540
OVT	Ovato Limited	0.0025	-17	17300
VPR	Volt Power Group	0.0025	-17	20000
NET	Netlinkz Limited	0.016	-16	5458011
HMG	Hamelingoldlimited	0.14	-15	393898
TKL	Traka Resources	0.012	-14	170000
TYX	Tyranna Res Ltd	0.006	-14	350000
AMO	Ambertech Limited	0.345	-14	868208
AVE	Avecho Biotech Ltd	0.013	-13	1678989
TRT	Todd River Res Ltd	0.08	-13	10373331
CNR	Cannon Resources	0.51	-13	212423
ROO	Roots Sustainable	0.007	-13	295188
CPN	Caspin Resources	1.14	-12	743650
KLR	Kaili Resources Ltd	0.029	-12	3300
TPSDD	Threat Protect Ltd	0.44	-12	2435
GMN	Gold Mountain Ltd	0.015	-12	6221735

Registry Direct (ASX:RD1) fell after completing a capital raising.

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY’VE MISSED

Santos (ASX:STO) and Oil Search (ASX:OSH) are a step closer to completing their $21bn merger after Oil Search shareholders signed off on the scheme. The pair are still waiting on PNG courts approval which is expected on Thursday.

IGO (ASX:IGO) responded to speculation it was looking to acquire nickel miner Western Areas (ASX:WSA). IGO confirmed that the pair were in discussions but nothing definitive had been agreed.

Booktopia (ASX:BKG) boss Tony Nash sold 3.5 million in shares off market to an existing institutional investor of the company. The sale – conducted at $1.75 per share – netted over $6 million and according to the company was to diversify both the company’s shareholder base and Nash’s personal wealth.

Mad Paws (ASX:MPA) recorded a Gross Merchandise Value of $15.7 million in November. This was up 92% from November last year.

Chalice (ASX:CHN) announced the IPO of gold spinout Falcon Metals had raised $30 million. Falcon Metals will own Chalice’s non-Julimar gold assets and is scheduled to list on December 22.

Austin Engineering (ASX:ANG) won a 5 year contract with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO). Austin will provide dump bodies, lightweight trays for ore trucks, heavy machinery buckets and other fabricated products.

Less than a month fome listing, Dundas Minerals’ (ASX:DUN) maiden drilling program is commencing at its Jumbuck nickel and Kokoda gold assets. It is expecting assay results to be available during February 2022.