It’s been an eventful week, with ASX stocks continuing to ride the momentum of Tesla’s “Battery Day”. We were also treated to a bit of comedic relief with the US Presidential Debate.

Media and market commentators alike dubbed it the “worst Presidential debate in history”.

Here are the highlights if you were lucky enough to miss it:

Now here’s what you might have missed on Stockhead this week, but everyone else didn’t, and liked the most.

 

1. Mesoblast now expects to release Ryoncil ruling on Monday

This is edge of your seat stuff people. The US regulator was supposed to have made up its mind by Wednesday, but still Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) shareholders wait.

One punter even reckoned they planned to stay up all night waiting on the announcement. That’s dedication for you.

But investors will now be spending a nail-biting weekend waiting to find out on Monday whether or not Mesoblast’s drug for treating paediatric patients with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease gets the tick of approval.

No idea what that is? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.

 

2. The 20 best and worst ASX shares in COVID-hit 2020 so far

2020 will definitely be a year to remember — probably not fondly though. That is unless you are and ASX-listed stock.

With the first three quarters of 2020 just about wrapped up, Pilbara-focused gold miner De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG); Canadian-based Auteco Minerals (ASX:AUT) and Pilbara and Nevada-focused lithium, nickel and gold explorer Caeneus Minerals (ASX:CAD) have been the top performers year-to-date. Their shares are up 25, 15 and 14-fold, respectively.

And then there are the ones that will happily farewell 2020 and not look back. Derek Rose highlights the 20 best and worst ASX stocks so far this year.

 

3. Elon Musk’s bold words gives ASX battery metals stocks a sugar hit

When Elon Musk, the boss of the world’s biggest electric carmaker, stands up and speaks, people obviously listen. That’s good news for ASX battery metals stocks… briefly.

But what was interesting was the apparent lack of investor interest in the hottest ASX nickel contenders, even the ones already producing.

After all it was container loads of the base metal Musk was saying he wanted for his batteries.

Find out what happened after Musk’s much talked about “Battery Day”.

 

4. ASX stocks capital raising guide: Here’s everything you need to know

We’re not sure who came up with the ASX terminology, but clearly there are really big terms that give investors no clue as to what exactly they are getting themselves into when backing a stock.

And that’s exactly why we decided to simplify this jargon for our readers.

We also got a couple of expert opinions on what investors should look out for when deciding whether or not to partake in a company’s capital raising.

Read on if you need a refresher or you missed it first time around.

 

5. Top 5: Battery metals are back, baby

Come for the battery metals, stay for the Backstreet Boys. Or, if 1990s boy bands aren’t your thing, maybe just the fact the tide is turning for the battery metals explorers is enough to pique your interest.

After all, they’ve had a pretty crap time of it over the past couple of years.

But Elon Musk has given them a nice little boost back into the realm of possibility by imparting his “Battery Day” wisdom (and ambitions) on us all.

Well actually it may have something to do with the fact that these particular battery metals players have secured customers.

Whatever the motivation, battery metals are making a comeback – just like the Backstreet Boys did last year.

 

6. Gold Digger: Seek and ye shall find

One thing is certain: if you don’t look, you won’t find.

And explorers have finally cottoned onto that after “many moons of underinvestment” in Reuben Adams’ words.

Gold exploration is running hot. Of course, that probably has something to do with the fact battery metals fell into the toilet and the gold price went for a mammoth run thanks to global economic uncertainty.

But even though the gold price has taken a bit of a breather, investors are still throwing the cash at the explorers.

 

7. These Aussie small caps tick the critical first checkbox for a Tesla contract

Sick of Elon Musk yet? Too bad if you said yes because here’s another Tesla story that got readers excited this week.

With news of Piedmont Lithium’s lucrative deal to supply lithium to Tesla, Bevis Yeo thought he would take a look at which other ASX listed stocks might be able to ride the Musk-driven wave.

Musk is pretty specific; he wants US sourced raw materials. So those explorers with US projects will be doing everything they can right now to land themselves on Musk’s radar.

 

8. Here’s why ASX stocks tanked after the US presidential debate

Finally, a story completed unrelated to Musk… although EVs seems to be the only thing current US President Donald Trump and President wannabe Joe Biden can agree on.

We’re pretty sure nobody got anything worthwhile out of the Presidential debate except some new insults to hurl at people.

Investors were put off by the debate, with ASX stocks tanking afterwards. Sam Jacobs tells you why.

 

9. Piedmont wins coveted Tesla lithium spodumene sales deal

Aaaaand we’re back to Tesla. Given Musk wants US minerals it’s not surprising the electric car giant has struck a deal with an ASX-listed company that has an American project.

This coveted agreement will see Piedmont deliver about a third of its planned lithium production to Tesla for five years to start with.

And there could be more to come, according to Piedmont.

 

10. The Secret Broker: Time to check out the cheque!

TSB recounts the good ole days of the cheque book. Kids today just stare blankly if they ever happen across one, but the 70-somethings still take comfort in a piece of paper over an app.

But sadly the death of the cheque is upon us with the digital evolution, as is the ability to earn yourself a few days grace before your electricity gets cut off just by saying “ the cheque is in the mail”.

Have a good weekend!

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