• Tesltra slumps, iron ore miners gain
  • BHP faces a deadline today to decide on its bid for Anglo America
  • Webjet reveals plans to split its travel divisions, boosting its share price today

 

The ASX 200 closed flattish on Wednesday, as big losses in the Telco sector led by Telstra (ASX:TLS) were offset by gains in Real Estate, Mining and Financial stocks.

 

Source: MarketIndex

 

Telstra dropped -3.5% after confirming that it will slash up to 2,800 jobs, 10% of its workforce, in a big shake-up. This move comes after a review of its enterprise division.

Telstra has however reiterated its FY24 guidance, and provided FY25 underlying EBITDA guidance of between $8.4 to $8.7 billion. 

In other large cap news, BHP (ASX:BHP) has until 5 pm today to decide whether to upgrade its $64.4 billion bid for Anglo American or walk away from talks. This is a hard deadline imposed by the  UK Takeover Panel. BHP’s shares were up +0.65%.

Other iron ore miners Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) also lifted today as iron ore futures extended a run of small gains, trading now at the highest level in three months.

Webjet (ASX:WEB) meanwhile rose over +7% after revealing plans to split up its top travel divisions, WebBeds and Webjet B2C.  If the company goes through with it, it will have two separate companies listed on the ASX.

And poultry business Inghams Group (ASX:ING) tumbled by -6% after acknowledging media reports about bird flu being detected at a table egg farm in Victoria’s Meridith area. 

Inghams said it doesn’t have any broiler farms there, so its operations and supply chain are unaffected for now. The company is maintaining its usual market supply without any disruptions, it said.

 

What else happened today

For the seventh time in a row, New Zealand’s central bank has decided to keep the cash rate steady at 5.5%, but says it sees rate cuts in the second half of next year.

Across Asia, stock markets were having a bit of trouble finding direction today, with not much happening locally.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit another record high last night, and now traders are waiting to see how chipmaker Nvidia Corp’s results will play out later today. Analysts expect Nvidia to report around 240% of revenue growth for Q3 to US$24.6bn. 

Japan’s shares dipped as the country reported a trade deficit.

China meanwhile is said to be mulling over hefty tariffs – some 25% – on imported European cars with big engines. 

The news comes as tensions between China, the US, and the EU are heating up, and could seriously strain Beijing’s ties with Brussels.

 

ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Today’s best performing small cap stocks:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Wordpress Table Plugin

 

Charger Metals (ASX:CHR), was up on news that the company has defined new lithium and niobium soil anomalies at the Lake Johnston project in WA, which the company is running as a JV with mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO). An infill soil-sampling program revealed further delineated surface lithium anomalies at the prospect, and these have been discovered defined near historic drill-holes that have previously logged pegmatite intersections with “elevated lithium values”. Meanwhile, the newly discovered niobium target is big – 1.8km by 1.7km.

Gibb River Diamonds (ASX:GIB) was also up, moving more than +50% on Tuesday’s news that the company has secured mining leases M04/475, M04/476 and M04/477 which are the three key licences at the heart of developing the Ellendale Diamond Project, 140km east of Derby in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Silver explorer Mithril Resources (ASX:MTH) was reinstated to the market after hours last night, following a lengthy absence from trading as the company worked towards meeting ASX requirements required to lift a trading suspension.Mithril recently held an AGM to ratify its recent financing efforts, which raised ~A$5m, and a share consolidation, and hit the market floor running on Wednesday to jump as high as +50% in brisk trade.

Aeon Metals (ASX:AML) rose on some land access news that certainly will encourage it, and its shareholders. The traditional owners of the Walford Creek region, the Waanyi PBC and Waanyi People have agreed terms for a new Cultural Heritage Protection Agreement (CHPA). And what that allows for is Aeon to recommence activities at Walford Creek, with pen being put to paper on relevant documents and signed by the necessary people, imminent. Business is business – this comes after a year of negotiations, the results of which will now enable Aeon to drill into the Fish River Fault and its surrounds and carry out “ongoing project development”

The Canadian-focused lithium hunter, Fin Resources (ASX:FIN),  jumped after some fresh drilling news.Specifically, eight diamond drill holes have now been successfully completed at its White Bear prospect within the broader Cancet West project in James Bay, Quebec. They’re holes. Tick. And they’ve been successfully drilled. Double tick. But more than this, we know, too, that the drilling intersected the White Bear pegmatite, which has been confirmed as spodumene bearing, based on geological observations and LIBS data. Five holes have interesected visual megacrystic spodumene up to 15cm in length.

NewPeak Metals (ASX:NPM) noted it’s scheduled an “extraordinary” general meeting for June 28. (Extra)ordinary matter no. 1 on the meeting’s itinerary? “The ratification of prior issue of 13,666,667 shares to Gerhard Redelinghuys and Tania Redelinghuys as trustee for Redelinghuys Super Fund, at an issue price of $0.015 pursuant to the Placement…” For further context, about this time last month, NewPeak completed a $300,000 share placement at 1.5c/sh to Gerhard Redelinghuys, who is the founder of former small cap success story Bowen Coking Coal (ASX:BCB).

LTR Pharma (ASX:LTP) was well up over +20% on no specific news. 

And… MedAdvisor (ASX:MDR) jumped after providing guidance for the full year ending this June. Based on the strong start to Q4 FY24 and anticipated activity levels over the remainder of this quarter, the company expects to deliver positive revenue, EBITDA and NPAT for the full year. Revenue is set to come in between $120m-$123m, an all time record (versus $98m in the pcp) EBITDA is set to come in between $6.8m -$7.6m (versus loss of -$3m in the pcp) NPAT is set to come in between $0.5m -$0.8m, first ever profit for the firm, (versus loss of -$11.3m in the pcp).

 

ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Today’s best performing small cap stocks:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort

Wordpress Table Plugin

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Exploration at Legacy Minerals’ (ASX:LGM) Black Range gold project in NSW’s premier Lachlan Ford Belt has intercepted veins indicative of a low-sulphidation epithermal style mineral system across a 2.2km gold trend at the Sugarbag Hill prospect. The intercept is part of a 1000m diamond drilling campaign at Sugarbag Hill, a prospect that hasn’t been drilled by anyone since Newmont back in 1992.

Assays from definition drilling at Toubani Resources’ (ASX:TRE) has returned significant oxide gold hits such as 57m at 2.48g/t gold that further de-risk its flagship 2.4Moz Kobada project towards “shovel-ready” status. The company is also progressing an updated definitive feasibility study that will optimise Kobada’s processing flowsheet and plant design, with the goal to boost the project’s gold output.

Classic Minerals (ASX:CLZ) has been granted a 21-year mining lease for its Lady Ada and Lady Magdalene gold projects at Forrestania, WA, taking it another step closer towards development. The Lady Ada and Lady Magdalene deposits have a combined known resource of 7.27Mt grading 1.33g/t for 311,050oz of contained gold, with testing proving that the non-refractory ore is highly amendable to gravity recovery with free milling gold.

Gold miner Kaiser Reefs (ASX:KAU) has received a strategic investment commitment worth $5m from Ragnar Metals (ASX:RAG) to develop the Nova gold project, which will double production from its A1 mine in Victoria up to 24,000ozpa. Assay results from drilling last year extended high-grade gold mineralisation exceeding below the 23 level – well beyond levels historical miners could reach, with grades from drilling returning >50g/t.

Koba Resources (ASX:KOB) has staked the strike extensions to its Harrier uranium project in Newfoundland and Labrador, securing a 100% interest in an additional 358km2 of adjacent mining claims. The yellowcake-focused explorer’s Harrier now covers 489km2 within a heavily under-explored world-class uranium district that hosts numerous deposits, including Paladin Energy’s (ASX:PDN) 127.7mlbs of U3O8 Michelin project.

Up to 4.3g/t shallow gold has been identified from the first five holes at Brightstar Resources’ (ASX:BTR) Link Zone at the Menzies gold project in WA. Results are part of a >30,000m drilling program targeting resource upgrades and extensions in conjunction with feasibility work streams across the company’s 1.45Moz gold portfolio across the Menzies and Laverton project areas.

Diamond drilling has wrapped up at Fin Resources’ (ASX:FIN) White Bear prospect at the Cancet West project in Quebec, Canada, where a 12.1m-thick spodumene-bearing pegmatite has been intersected. Eight diamond drill holes for 1,009m have been completed at White Bear, with core samples dispatched to Val d’Orfor cutting and submission to ActLabs for analysis.

Felix Gold (ASX:FXG) is set to unlock value in its dominant position in the Fairbanks gold mining district after exceeding its target and raising $2.556m via placement. Strong support was received from both existing shareholders and new investors, including MDF Global Limited (MDF) and the directors of Felix Gold (subject to shareholder approval at an upcoming EGM).Funds raised will be used to complete the imminent maiden resource at NW Array, as well as progress ongoing exploration and resource expansion drilling at both the Grant Mine and NW Array Projects.

Sovereign Metals (ASX:SVM), backed by mining major Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) (which has a 15% stake in the developer), aims to develop a low-CO2 and sustainable operation at its Kasiya project in Malawi to supply highly sought-after natural rutile and graphite to global markets.  Pilot phase mining and land rehabilitation programs have been initiated to determine optimal excavation and backfill land rehabilitation approaches.  Regular evaluation of the rehabilitation activities will assess the progress of vegetation growth and soil stabilisation and once rehabilitated, the proposed project site will be returned to farmland.

The prospectivity of Haranga Resources’ (ASX:HAR) Saraya uranium project has received a shot in the arm after test work confirmed that uranium could be leached at rates consistent with other projects. The company has been going all out exploring the project and the results have validated its efforts. Auger drilling to follow-up on termite mound sampling has thus far proved that the sampling material evacuated by termite digging deep into the earth to build their nests is a cost effective method of identifying uranium anomalies.

Frontier Energy (ASX:FHE) continues to progress its debt financing process for the Waroona project with key appointments and contracts for procurement of capital items well advanced. The process is moving swiftly through Phase Two with the recent appointment of Aurecon as the independent technical engineer and the appointment of legal counsel for the lenders. FHE remains on track to receive binding credit approved terms from the preferred banking syndicate during July.

Blue Star Helium (ASX:BNL) has successfully drilled, cased and cemented the intermediate hole section of the State 16 SWSE 3054 development well at its Galactica helium project in Las Animas County, Colorado.The intermediate hole section of the well was drilled to ~338.32m and a mandatory cement bond log (CBL) is expected to run shortly. Upon successful testing at State 16 SWSE 3054, the well be ready to be tied-in to production facilities.

Australian Mines (ASX:AUZ) has discovered multiple tin, tantalum, and lithium anomalies at the Resende lithium project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The highest assay results returned tin, tantalum, and lithium at 1180, 56, 38ppm and 769, 65, 51ppm, comparing favourably to regional results which returned less than the lower detection limits of 5, 10, 10ppm. AUZ now plans to embark on a comprehensive grid soil sampling program to identify potential future drilling targets.

 

 TRADING HALTS

Auking Mining (ASX:AKN) – pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Top Shelf International Holdings (ASX:TSI) – pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Stellar Resources (ASX:SRZ) – pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Paterson Resources (ASX:PSL) – pending an announcement in relation to a binding Share Sale Agreement.

Murray Cod Australia (ASX:MCA) – pending an announcement regarding a placement and an accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer.

NT Minerals (ASX:NTM) – pending an announcement regarding entry into a right to mine agreement.

AIC Mines (ASX:A1M) – pending the launch of an institutional placement.

AUB Group (ASX:AUB)  – pending a proposed capital raising comprising an institutional placement.

 

At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Frontier Energy, Blue Star Helium, Australian Mines,  Legacy Minerals, Toubani Resources, Kaiser Reef, Koba Resources, Brightstar Resources, Fin Resources, Felix Gold, Sovereign Metals and Haranga Resources are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.

Read MoreMarkets

Featured Companies

You might be interested in