Lunchtime ASX small cap wrap: Who’s making pals with the Pope today?

Undefeated WBC world heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder – who has 41 knockouts from 42 fights — is now Pope Francis’ Ambassador for Peace.

Your Ambassador for Peace, everyone:

“Be peaceful or else,” he probably told US – China officials, who finally announced a “phase one” trade agreement on Friday. Happy days.

There’s also some key Australian data out today, including the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook which “is likely to show an improved fiscal position”, according to the Commonwealth Bank.

The ASX Small Ords – which measures the health of the smaller end of the market – was up 0.52 per cent to 2,895 points in morning trade.

WINNERS

National Veterinary Care (ASX:NVL) shares shot up over 50 per cent this morning on a takeover bid that the board wasted no time in endorsing.

Private company VetPartners, which operates 140 clinics across Australia, NZ and Singapore, made a $3.70 per share takeover bid, valuing National Veterinary Care at $251.5m — a 56.8 per cent premium to its closing share price last Friday.

READ: Petcare is a $US125bn market; here are the small cap contenders

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday December 16:

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

LOSERS

A 1.2c stock on April 1, Brazilian gold explorer Meteoric Resources (ASX:MEI)  had motored to 4.7c by last Friday — that’s a 291 per cent return for investors.

But there will be no early Christmas present for the former market darling, which has just plunged ~27 per cent on some pretty average drilling results at the Novo Astro project.

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday December 16:

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