The Basketball World Cup may have just ended, but it’s about to heat right up at home in Australia, with the WNBL being launched today.

It is the 40th anniversary of the first season, and to mark it, our politicians played a scratch game against some superstars, including three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.

The news is better at the smaller end of the market today: the ASX Small Ords has gained 0.38 per cent to 2,891 points, while the ASX 200 has fallen 0.05 per cent to 6,692 points.

Westpac today released its leading index, signalling below-trend growth in Australia. “The six-month annualised growth rate in our index, which indicates the likely pace of economic activity relative to trend three to nine months into the future, fell from +0.01 per cent in July to –0.35 per cent in August,” the bank said.

 

Going up

Two biotech companies are among the biggest gainers today. Topping the list is Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP), which reported early positive data for its drug ATL1102, for the treatment of duchenne muscular dystrophy. Shares rocketed 85 per cent to 9c. The phase II trial is ongoing.

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) was the other to make big moves, jumping 20 per cent by lunch to $1.70, after its Japanese investor Fujifilm finally executed a licence option agreement.

Find details on both bits of news here.

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at lunchtime, Wednesday September 18:

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

Code Name Price % Chg Market Cap Volume
ANP Antisense Therapeutics Ltd 0.09 +85.11% $36.1M 9.2M
EPM Eclipse Uranium Ltd 0.003 +50.00% $3.4M 666.7k
MTB Mount Burgess Mining NL 0.007 +40.00% $3.6M 15.4M
ROG Red Sky Energy Ltd 0.004 +33.33% $5.0M 24.7M
THD Thred Ltd 0.004 +33.33% $3.6M 110.0k
OAU Ora Gold Ltd 0.02 +30.77% $11.0M 1.6M
BAS Bass Oil Ltd 0.0025 +25.00% $7.3M 167.0k
DTR Dateline Resources Ltd 0.0025 +25.00% $20.3M 7.6M
MNC Metminco Ltd 0.0025 +25.00% $16.6M 4.8M
BUY Bounty Oil & Gas NL 0.005 +25.00% $4.8M 200.0k
SBR Sabre Resources Ltd 0.005 +25.00% $2.4M 697.6k
KSN Kingston Resources Ltd 0.02 +23.53% $37.1M 9.1M
MRV Moreton Resources Ltd 0.006 +20.00% $21.8M 97.8k
PWN Parkway Minerals NL 0.006 +20.00% $4.3M 113.7k
RMX Red Mountain Mining Ltd 0.006 +20.00% $4.7M 165.0k
UUV UUV Aquabotix Ltd 0.006 +20.00% $2.4M 450.0k
FUN Funtastic Ltd 0.05 +20.00% $11.2M 11.4k
PNN PepinNini Lithium Ltd 0.003 +20.00% $3.7M 1.4M
MTC MetalsTech Ltd 0.02 +20.00% $2.1M 514.0k
CYP Cynata Therapeutics Ltd 1.7 +19.72% $171.4M 858.7k
Wordpress Table Plugin

 

Going down

An update on the graphite market from Hexagon Resources (ASX:HXG) has not filled its investors with confidence, with the stock being pushed down 20 per cent to 6c.

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at lunchtime, Wednesday September 18:

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

Code Name Price % Chg Market Cap Volume
XST XState Resources Ltd 0.001 -50.00% $1.1M 984.9k
VAR Variscan Mines Ltd 0.001 -50.00% $1.6M 1.3M
XPE Xped Ltd 0.002 -33.33% $1.5M 100.0k
LKO Lakes Oil NL 0.002 -33.33% $33.4M 316.7k
QGL Quantum Graphite Ltd 0.003 -25.00% $11.5M 347.0k
QFY Quantify Technology Holdings L 0.003 -25.00% $4.5M 1.0M
NAE New Age Exploration Ltd 0.003 -25.00% $2.7M 3.0M
MSR Manas Resources Ltd 0.003 -25.00% $7.9M 1.0M
HXG Hexagon Resources Ltd 0.06 -20.00% $16.3M 2.0M
MLL Mali Lithium Ltd 0.08 -19.00% $21.4M 1.2M
CCJ County International Ltd 0.005 -16.67% $1.2M 40.0k
RNX Renegade Exploration Ltd 0.005 -16.67% $1.8M 100.0k
FGO Flamingo AI Ltd 0.005 -14.29% $3.4M 745.0k
SHH Shree Minerals Ltd 0.006 -14.29% $3.6M 122.5k
BLY Boart Longyear Ltd 0.006 -14.29% $157.8M 23.3M
ANW Aus Tin Mining Ltd 0.006 -14.29% $13.5M 8.8M
FIN Fin Resources Ltd 0.013 -13.33% $3.8M 62.5k
Wordpress Table Plugin