On Stockhead today, is it the Year of the Semis, Guy Le Page isn’t deserting gold, and a much better option than miserly term deposits.

But first, the day ahead.

 

LOCAL DATA DUMP

  • Counts of businesses (December quarter)
  • Business turnover (December)
  • Reserve Bank Statement on Monetary Policy

Via CommSec.

 

TRADING HALTS

The following stocks went into trading halts yesterday and are expected out in the coming days:

Unith (ASX:UNT) – Capital raising.

Exopharm (ASX:EX1) – Halt requested ahead of an update on the company’s ongoing financial position and financing arrangements.

First Au (ASX:FAU) – Potential transaction and capital raising.

Greenstone Resources (ASX:GSR) – Capital raising.

Reward Minerals (ASX:RWD) – Capital raising.

Ora Gold (ASX:OAU) – Capital raising.

 

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: $US1,884.66 (+0.49%)

Silver: $US22.52 (+0.99%)

Nickel (3mth): $US27,390/t (+0.52%)

Copper (3mth): $US8,892.50/t (-0.36%)

Oil (WTI): $US78.76 (+0.36%)

Oil (Brent): $US85.27 (+0.21%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US124.00 (-0.40%)

AUD/USD: 0.6978 (+0.77%)

Bitcoin: $US22,707 (-1.10%)

 

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING YESTERDAY?

Molybdenum is the latest industrial commodity to catch the attention of investors, as prices surge 82.9% in two months to record highs.

 

And the impending death of oil and gas looks to be greatly exaggerated.

 

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Also, be sure to check in preopen each day for ‘Market highlights and 5 ASX small caps to watch’, and 10.30am for our daily ‘10 at 10’ column — a live summary of winners & losers at the opening bell.

 

ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Here are yesterday’s best performing ASX small cap stocks:

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

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
CCE Carnegie Cln Energy 0.002 100% 1,971,336 $15,642,574
CSX Cleanspace Holdings 0.665 73% 211,011 $29,652,516
IS3 I Synergy Group Ltd 0.021 50% 270,000 $4,047,125
AO1 Assetowl Limited 0.0015 50% 700,000 $1,572,130
EVE EVE Health Group Ltd 0.0015 50% 1,670,645 $5,274,483
GLV Global Oil & Gas 0.002 33% 1,150,000 $5,143,205
PVW PVW Res Ltd 0.14 27% 564,306 $10,232,406
FXG Felix Gold Limited 0.15 25% 172,589 $9,979,968
CLE Cyclone Metals 0.0025 25% 1,000,000 $12,353,474
GTG Genetic Technologies 0.005 25% 59,577,737 $46,166,633
OXX Octanex Ltd 0.005 25% 490,920 $1,035,911
CPT Cipherpoint Limited 0.008 23% 9,761,262 $7,433,880
ST1 Spirit Technology 0.075 23% 4,582,411 $40,548,138
MGT Magnetite Mines 0.585 22% 776,007 $36,402,340
FLX Felix Group 0.17 21% 5,707 $21,940,760
IMR Imricor Med Sys 0.295 20% 486,015 $37,080,168
GPR Geopacific Resources 0.024 20% 4,747,261 $10,423,822
HHI Health House Int Ltd 0.012 20% 111,216 $1,413,297
TD1 Tali Digital Limited 0.003 20% 291,527 $6,937,889
TTB Total Brain Ltd 0.006 20% 8,423,404 $668,606
MKL Mighty Kingdom Ltd 0.041 17% 511,300 $11,417,686
IMB Intelligent Monitor 0.14 17% 37,811 $15,684,035
SRJ SRJ Technologies 0.14 17% 452,663 $10,701,030
AXP AXP Energy Ltd 0.0035 17% 2,165,810 $17,474,042
OZZ OZZ Resources 0.075 16% 67,461 $3,026,633
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Respiratory protection manufacturer CleanSpace (ASX:CSX) has been awarded three healthcare distribution contracts for the North American/United States markets.

Collectively, these organisations are part of a critical network of purchasing and distribution channels which service most of the 6,000 hospitals in the US – the largest healthcare market in the world.

It is too early to determine what revenue might be generated from these relationships, the company says.

Explorer PVW Resources (ASX:PVW) says it has defined multiple new rare earths targets after “exciting” drilling results up to 7000ppm TREO at the Tanami project in WA.

And drug development firm Argenica Therapeutics (ASX:AGN) has announced positive initial preclinical data on the drug ARG007’s ability to inhibit human recombinant Amyloid-Beta (Abeta) aggregation in a preclinical (in vitro) model of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Abeta aggregation is thought to be one of the main causes of Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are yesterday’s worst performing ASX small cap stocks:

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

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
EMU EMU NL 0.004 -33% 10,085,165 $4,123,609
IPB IPB Petroleum Ltd 0.01 -29% 4,006,942 $6,389,179
AW1 Americanwestmetals 0.069 -26% 4,881,367 $14,341,383
RBR RBR Group Ltd 0.003 -25% 3,429,876 $5,626,952
TZN Terramin Australia 0.021 -22% 1,286,550 $57,147,193
ZEU Zeus Resources Ltd 0.019 -21% 16,172,918 $10,519,200
CT1 Constellation Tech 0.004 -20% 819,156 $7,356,002
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.0025 -17% 100,000 $6,401,370
IEC Intra Energy Corp 0.005 -17% 100,000 $4,234,690
THR Thor Energy PLC 0.005 -17% 1,185,289 $8,853,677
XST Xstate Resources 0.0025 -17% 421,159 $9,645,545
HMG Hamelingoldlimited 0.105 -16% 1,343,866 $13,750,000
KOR Korab Resources 0.022 -15% 926,191 $9,543,300
HCT Holista CollTech Ltd 0.017 -15% 871,581 $5,576,001
MRQ Mrg Metals Limited 0.003 -14% 133,500 $6,950,715
ICN Icon Energy Limited 0.013 -13% 1,035,958 $11,520,205
TSN The Sust Nutri Grp 0.02 -13% 345,000 $2,773,947
PLY Playside Studios 0.415 -13% 2,767,903 $193,136,623
CXU Cauldron Energy Ltd 0.007 -13% 2,960,774 $7,452,544
C1X Cosmosexploration 0.46 -12% 643,111 $13,125,000
AL3 Aml3D 0.11 -12% 788,791 $23,507,928
POD Podium Minerals 0.11 -12% 100,744 $42,069,865
BRX Belararoxlimited 0.275 -11% 206,302 $11,913,306
IND Industrialminerals 0.32 -11% 70,322 $10,746,000
RB6 Rubixresources 0.16 -11% 471,339 $5,049,000
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Terramin Australia’s (ASX:TZN) seven-year bid to reopen an historic goldmine near the Bird in Hand Winery was knocked back by the South Australian government.

The goldmine, which closed in 1935, is located next door to the winery in Woodside – the key factor in the decision by SA’s Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantoni to put paid to Terramin’s plans, despite the proposal being on track to meet all statutory obligations.

You can read more on that story here.