The ASX has finished slightly down today with small caps underperforming compared to large caps.

The ASX Emerging Companies Index fell two thirds of a per cent to 2,104.5 points and the ASX Small Ords fell three quarters of one per cent to 3,186.9. The ASX 200 meanwhile fell just a tenth of a per cent to 6,850.

The top performing stock was Bard1 (ASX:BD1), which announced strong data about its cancer diagnostics tech to detect ovarian cancer.

Among broader sectors, real estate and health care were leaders while tech and financials were laggards.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dairy product seller Australian Dairy Nutritionals (ASX:AHF) completed the sale of its Drumborg Farm for just over $7.4 million. The company will use most of the proceeds to repay debt and says this is surplus to the company’s production requirements.

Digital mapping company Nearmap (ASX:NEA) is the latest victim of short seller J Capital. Shares fell 7 per cent before being halted ahead of a company response.

Lithium Power International (ASX:LPI) commenced an exploration campaign at the company’s Greenbushes project. Field sampling work will be complete by the end of the quarter.

Recent gold IPO Benz Mining (ASX:BNZ) unveiled assay results for its first 2020 campaign – which included individual assay values up to 85g/t gold.

Holiday and lifestyle community operator Ingenia (ASX:INA) secured a $75 million debt facility from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The company says this money will help it fund carbon reduction initiatives.

TRADING HALTS

FRIDAY

Sunshine Gold (ASX:SHN) – acquisition
EcoGraf (ASX:EGR) – capital raising
Challenger Exploration (ASX:CEL) – assay results
88 Energy (ASX:88E) – capital raising & board changes
Pilot Energy (ASX:PGY) – acquisition
Tyranna Resources (ASX:TYX) – price query

MONDAY

Silver Mines (ASX:SVL) – capital raising
Consolidated Zinc (ASX:CZL) – capital raising
Nearmap (ASX:NEA) – short seller response