Central banks across the globe cut rates and boosted liquidity in an effort to support economies through the COVID-19 crisis.

Despite this, European share markets slumped on Monday to 2012 levels. US share markets recorded the biggest declines since the 1987 share market crash.

There was a strong chance that Australian shares would tank even further today which, so far, hasn’t happened.

By 12pm AEDT the Small Ords index was up 2 per cent to 2,116.2 points, while the ASX 200 was up 2.2 per cent to 5,555.9 points.

Large cap mining stocks are leading today’s rebound, with strong gains from Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) +17.5pc, South32 (ASX:S32) +8pc, BHP (ASX:BHP) +6.8pc, and Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM) +6.6pc.

READ: What coronavirus did last night — Wall Street down 13pc, WWE reveals all

WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Tuesday March 17:

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CODE COMPANY PRICE % CHANGE MARKET CAP
TDL TBG Diagnostics 0.27 92.86% $58.8M
BLU Blue Energy 0.028 55.56% $37.2M
LNU Linius Technologies 0.014 40.00% $16.5M
ALG Ardent Leisure 0.225 28.57% $107.9M
IPT Impact Minerals 0.007 27.27% $10.9M
WML Woomera Mining 0.014 27.27% $2.3M
WZR WISR 0.083 25.76% $84.0M
NZS New Zealand Coastal Seafoods 0.01 25.00% $4.2M
AUQ Alara Resources 0.017 21.43% $8.8M
AUT Auteco Minerals 0.019 18.75% $18.4M
MAN Mandrake Resources 0.013 18.18% $2.9M
PM8 Pensana Metals 0.17 17.24% $22.2M
TGA Thorn Group 0.07 16.67% $19.3M
GOR Gold Road Resources 0.93 15.53% $707.5M
TMR Tempus Resources 0.155 14.81% $5.7M
QEM QEM 0.07 14.75% $6.1M
SYA Sayona Mining 0.008 14.29% $15.0M
WWI West Wits Mining 0.008 14.29% $6.6M
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Some unusual price action on no news over at TBG Diagnostics (ASX:TDL) — which makes molecular diagnostics kits in the US, Taiwan and China — saw the stock surge yesterday and again this morning to 27c from a Monday low of 10c.

Now we probably know why. The company has entered a trading halt “pending an announcement in relation to certification of a TBG Biotechnology Xiamen Novel Coronavirus Diagnostic kit”.

The company has a 46.65 per cent stake in TBG.

Also gaining were video tech company Linius Technologies (ASX:LNU), up 40 per cent, and Ardent Leisure (ASX:ALG) – owner of the Dreamworld theme park – up 28.5 per cent. New gold producer Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR) has also bounced back from heavy losses suffered over the past week.

 

LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Tuesday March 17:

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CODE COMPANY PRICE % CHANGE MARKET CAP
MQR Marquee Resources 0.031 -38.00% $2.0M
ROG Red Sky Energy 0.001 -33.33% $1.6M
RMX Red Mountain Mining 0.002 -33.33% $1.7M
MSE Metalsearch 0.003 -25.00% $3.3M
NNW 99 Wuxian 0.045 -25.00% $52.2M
AHL Ahalife Holdings 0.003 -25.00% $1.5M
BNR Bulletin Resources 0.016 -23.81% $2.9M
SE1 Sensera 0.007 -22.22% $2.3M
GBE Globe Metals & Mining 0.007 -22.22% $3.3M
VGL Vista 1.45 -21.62% $308.0M
CBE Cobre 0.1 -25.00% $13.6M
FFG Fatfish Internet Group 0.004 -20.00% $4.1M
TTM Titan Minerals 0.04 -20.00% $38.1M
VOR Vortiv 0.004 -20.00% $14.0M
CST Castle Minerals 0.004 -20.00% $19.0M
LNY Laneway Resources 0.004 -20.00% $18.6M
TOE Toro Energy 0.004 -20.00% $13.1M
CFO Cfoam 0.033 -19.51% $7.3M
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