Market highlights and 5 ASX small caps to watch on Friday

S&P 500 closes at yet another record high

All major US indices rose overnight, with S&P 500 closing at a record high again, marking the 19th time it has done so this year. The index rose by 0.42%.

Dow Jones index also rose by 0.17%, while NASDAQ climbed 1.03%.

Tech stocks like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft climbed, after 10-year yields declined to 1.62% as US weekly jobless claims came in unexpectedly higher. The tech heavy NASDAQ is now just within 2% of its all time high reached in February.

Oil and iron prices were steady, and Bitcoin is trading higher at US$57,700 at 8am AEDT, rising from the US$56,200 level yesterday.

Closer to home

In other news, Britain has banned the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 30, on blood clot fears. This has prompted the Morrison government to announce changes in the nation’s vaccine rollout plan last night, saying now that the Pfizer drug is preferable for adults under 50. However, Australians who have had their first AstraZeneca jab with no adverse reactions can safely get the second shot.

5 ASX small caps to watch today

Universal Biosensors (ASX:UBI)
The health tech company is set to rise this morning, after announce that it has entered into an exclusive perpetual supply agreement with Lubris BioPharma, for the supply of Lubricin (PRG4), for use in UBI’s strip-based device point-of-care diagnostic products. Lubris is a US-based life sciences company producing and commercialising a recombinant version of the human protein, known as Lubricin.

Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS)
The laser tech company announced that it has achieved a major breakthrough in laser technology which significantly advances the global effort to mitigate space debris. The innovation involves the use of a Guide Star Laser, to allow high speed adaptive optics to form laser beams that can track and move space debris at lower altitudes and faster speeds than ever previously possible.

ERoad(ASX:ERD)
The E-toll technology provider announced that it has signed its largest Australian enterprise customer, Ventia. Ventia is one of the largest specialists in the management of critical assets and infrastructure for corporate and government clients. The deal is for five years SaaS subscription of ERoad’s products.

Family Zone Cyber Safety (ASX:FZO)
Children cyber saftey tech company ended the quarter with 3,135 contracted schools, a 135 per cent year-on-year growth, including 387 new contracted schools. During the quarter, it also signed contracts with an annual value of $1.8 million, a 92 per cent year-on-year growth.

Marenica Energy (ASX:MEY)
The minerals exploration company is set to rise this morning, after announcing that an extensive airborne electromagnetic survey covering an area of 1,500 square kilometres has commenced over the company’s tenements in Namibia. The Namib Area hosts the Koppies and Hirabeb uranium discoveries, and the recent discovery of a palaeochannel system at Namib IV.