Australian investors have been firmly “risk on” following Joe Biden’s inauguration and Australia’s latest unemployment figures.

Small caps have done particularly well today. The Emerging Companies nano-cap index rose 2.15 per cent to 2,113 while the Small Ordinaries index jumped 0.88 per cent to 3,180.

Turning to large caps, the ASX200 gained 0.79 per cent to 6,824 and the top performing sectors were materials and technology.

The day’s biggest winner was Industrial microcap 333D (ASX:T3D) which doubled before being put into a trading halt pending a price query.

Colombia focused gold explorer Los Cerros (ASX:LCL) was next after its latest exploration update. It told shareholders it hit a 320m long “porphyry-style”  intersection at the Tesorito South target grading 1.5g/t gold from surface.

 

Announcements

Cipherpoint (ASX:CPT) announced it was acquiring cyber security services platform Brace168. It will pay with $3m cash, 21.75 million shares and 5.44 million options.

Tolga Kumova backed gold stock Riversgold (ASX:RGL)  won a new tenement application ballot in Western Australia. This brings its total tenure  to 1,150 square kilometres.

Education software stock 3P Learning (ASX:3PL) gave shareholders an update on the proposal to merge with Blake eLearning.

3P Learning says discussions had advanced to a non-binding term sheet – to be paid entirely in 3P shares. It also said it had ceased further engagement with potential suitor BYJU.

Mining software stock K2fly (ASX:K2F) told shareholders the SATEVA business, which it bought in November last year, had resulted in $850,000 in new purchase orders from major iron ore players.

Novonix (ASX:NVX), a producer of graphene-based anodes sold to the lithium-ion battery market, won a US$5.57 million grant from the US Department of Energy.

Aspiring lithium producer Ioneer (ASX:INR) told shareholders it had successfully converted lithium carbonate at its pilot plant into battery grade lithium hydroxide.

Dental equipment maker equipment maker SDI (ASX:SDI) announced a half yearly profit of $4.6 million – just over 30 per cent higher than the prior corresponding period.

 

Trading halts

Friday: 

Emerge Gaming (ASX:EM1) – company update
Nelson Resources (ASX:NES) – capital raising
Red Emperor Resources (ASX:RMP) – acquisition
Jatcorp (ASX:JAT) – capital raising
Sunstone Metals (ASX:STM) – exploration update
Volt Resources (ASX:VRC) – acquisition

Monday: 

333D (ASX:T3D) – price query response
Podium Minerals (ASX:POD) – capital raising
PNX Metals (ASX:PNX) – capital raising
Cyclopharm (ASX:CYC) – capital raising

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