Peppermint leads 5 ASX small caps to watch on Thursday 28 July. Picture Getty (Businessman working on street in New York. Dressing in blue suit, a young g
Market Highlights and 5 ASX Small Caps to watch on Thursday
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Wall Street mixed as busy earnings season continues
US stock market benchmarks were mixed over night, as investors digested earnings results and US Fed’s decision to keep monetary policy unchanged.
The Dow Jones was down 0.36%, S&P 500 fell 0.02%, but the tech-focused Nasdaq was up 0.7%.
Highlights included Pfizer, which raised its full year COVID-19 vaccine sales forecast by 29% to $US33.5 billion. Its share price rose 3%.
Boeing’s stock price jumped 4% after reporting a surprise profit for Q2 of US$567m, after a US$2.96bn loss from the corresponding quarter a year ago.
To cryptos, where Bitcoin is now back up to the US$40k psychological level, and is trading at US$40,100 level at 8am AEST, from the US$38,3000 level on Wednesday.
Speaking on the US network’s Squawk Box program, former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren said something the cryptoverse knows all too well – that digital currencies could be a solution for banking the unbanked:
“There has been an enormous failure by the big banks to reach consumers all across the country,” said Warren. “Digital currency and central bank digital currency (CBDC) may be an answer there.”
ASX 200 set to open lower on Thursday
The ASX 200 looks set to open lower at the open this morning, with futures markets (September contracts) pointing down by 0.41% at 8:30am AEST.
Yesterday, the benchmark index retreated 0.7%, as the ASX tech sector succumbed to the latest selloff in tech equities globally. dragging the rest of the bourse down with it.
In large cap news this morning, Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) delivered its best half ever, posting a $16.6bn in underlying earnings.
Announcing its results after the bell yesterday, the miner said it will also pay a staggering US$5.61 per share dividend, its biggest interim payment ever. Rio closed at $132.22 on Wednesday.
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5 ASX small caps to watch today
Peppermint Innovation (ASX:PIL)
The Philippines-focused fintech company has been awarded a finance licence by the Philippines’ Securities Exchange Commission, allowing it to offer alternative non-bank micro-enterprise loans to qualified bizmoto agents, registered bizmoto network members and enterprise platform partners.
The recruitment candidate check company recorded record revenue for Q4, delivering $6.4m which was up 262% on the previous corresponding period (pcp). Cash at bank stands at $12.9m as at end June, with no external debt.
The company said it has been granted the right to export its graphite concentrate from the Port d’Ehoala SA in South Madagascar. The right will initially allow exports of up to 30,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate, with a provision to increase this volume over time to cater for the company’s Stage 2 expansion.
The 3D geospatial data tech company experienced growth across key sectors for the June quarter. Annual contracted value (ACV) stands at US$9.80 million, up 24% since 29 April. It also reported a record quarterly cash receipts from customers of $1.45m.
The tech investment company said receipts in the June quarter jumped by 178% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to $738k. Unaudited quarterly revenue was $8.7m, 1,122% increase QoQ, but this includes recognition of revenue from previous advisory services.
At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While Peppermint Innovation is a Stockhead advertiser, it did not sponsor this article.
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