Closing Bell: ASX treads water while an IPO dips on debut

Local stocks made a cautious start to the week, following a fairly volatile trading period last week as jitters stemming from rising bond yields dimmed risk sentiment on global markets.

The ASX 200 opened in the red before clawing back some ground to close 0.09% lower, with similar trading patterns for the microcap Emerging Markets index which finished down 0.19%.

Heading into the US session, S&P500 futures are lacking clear direction and a short time ago had edged higher by 0.12%.

All eyes on global markets this week will be on the latest US inflation data for December, due out on Wednesday night.

A new IPO joined the boards, as health-tech company Careteq Ltd (ASX:CTQ) joined the boards after raising $6m at 20c per share.

However, the stock closed at 16c for a day-one fall of 20%. CTQ’s core product is its SOFIHUB platform that includes fall-detection sensors that assists customers to live independently. The company will compete with other listed players in the market for remote monitoring solutions.

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	0.002	100.0%	11,435,541
ALT	Analytica Limited	0.002	33.3%	277,364
KFM	Kingfisher Mining	0.24	33.3%	7,032,700
NAE	New Age Exploration	0.013	30.0%	28,972,208
FAU	First Au Ltd	0.012	26.3%	11,158,006
GTG	Genetic Technologies	0.005	25.0%	1,208,040
ESS	Essential Metals Ltd	0.255	24.4%	7,408,688
TKL	Traka Resources	0.016	23.1%	6,242,778
RNU	Renascor Res Ltd	0.21	20.0%	40,152,512
GGX	Gas2Grid Limited	0.003	20.0%	2,560,200
BIR	BIR Financial Ltd	0.037	19.4%	759,532
LEL	Lithenergy	1.135	17.0%	822,228
CRR	Critical Resources	0.062	17.0%	8,171,001
OEX	Oilex Ltd	0.0035	16.7%	968,673
AJQ	Armour Energy Ltd	0.022	15.8%	7,944,793
GWR	GWR Group Ltd	0.22	15.8%	1,148,284
QXR	Qx Resources Limited	0.038	15.2%	33,887,717
EMS	Eastern Metals	0.23	15.0%	779,748

Among small caps with news, the market leader was Kingfisher Mining (ASX:KFM), which caught investors eye’ after drilling results confirmed an ‘impressive’ rare earths hit — including 12m at 1.12% total rare earth oxides (TREO) — at its ‘Mick Well’ prospect in WA’s Gascoyne region.

Something’s up with gold explorer First AU (ASX:FAU), which ripped higher at the opening bell before going into a trading halt pending a further announcement regarding a proposed acquisition.

Today’s winner’s list was almost entirely comprised of resources stocks, and another company which climbed more than 20% intraday on Monday was Traka (ASX:TKL), the sub-$20m nanocap which struck mineralisation with up to 57.4g/t gold at the Plantagenet’ prospect — part of the Mt Cattlin gold-copper project in WA.

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	-50.0%	9,005,471
BAS	Bass Oil Ltd	0.0015	-25.0%	2,872,500
CTQ	Careteq Limited	0.16	-20.0%	1,958,156
CGB	Cann Global Limited	0.002	-20.0%	300,002
EVE	EVE Health Group Ltd	0.004	-20.0%	2,412,387
KEY	KEY Petroleum	0.002	-20.0%	300,000
SBR	Sabre Resources	0.004	-20.0%	853,846
SPQ	Superior Resources	0.06	-17.8%	82,084,617
UUL	Ultima Utd Ltd	0.41	-17.2%	49,355
ROO	Roots Sustainable	0.005	-16.7%	1,333,841
ALY	Alchemy Resource Ltd	0.011	-15.4%	927,012
AJY	Asaplus Resources	0.034	-15.0%	2,794
LRV	Larvottoresources	0.17	-15.0%	595,596
DDD	3D Resources Limited	0.003	-14.3%	1,669,037
MBK	Metal Bank Ltd	0.006	-14.3%	1,814,283
OLH	Oldfields Holdings	0.06	-14.3%	105,114

ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU MAY MISSED

Funds management firm VGI Partners (ASX:VGI) issued a response to media speculation about potential M&A activity, confirming that it’s held discussions with Regal Funds Management as well as other players about possible transactions. Shares in the company were up by around 9% in afternoon trade.

Digital health company ResApp Health (ASX:RAP) has completed recruitment for its US-based COVID-19 clinical study, COVID-Cough. “The study has now collected audio cough recordings and self-reported symptoms for 122 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed COVID-19 positive cases and 139 PCR confirmed COVID-19 negative cases,” RAP said.

Explorer Pursuit Minerals (ASX:PUR) said a soil sampling program at Combatant project north of Perth has been completed, and assay results received. “The results confirm that the tenement package hosts intrusive ultramafic units, and aeromagnetic interpretation indicates that these ultramafics are intrusive in nature,” PUR said. Additional field programs will now be planned to test each site for potential Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation.

Penny stock Lakes Blue Energy (ASX:LKO) announced a capital raising, with plans to raise up to $4.342m from retail and institutional investors — $1,604,000 of which will be underwritten by Bizzell Capital Partners Pty Ltd.