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Good morning everyone, and welcome to August 23, 2024 – an important date in the history of Mel Gibson looking like a dope.

It was on this day in 1305 that Scottish Patriot William Wallace preemptively (by nearly 700 years) proved Mel Gibson’s assertion that the English would “never take our freedom” to be categorically, and demonstrably, incorrect.

Luckily for you, you won’t have to be a grossly inaccurate, anachronistic mullet-sporting shout-a-holic to get your hands on good pre-market info today.

That’s because – as always – we’ve worked super-hard to gather together lots of fiddly little things below, so you don’t need to go ferreting all over the internet for your ASX info this morning.

 

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: US$2,509.30/oz (-0.15%)

Silver: US$29.40/oz (-0.64%)

Nickel (3mth): US$16,762/t (0.75%)

Copper (3mth): US$9,198/t (+0.69%)

Zinc: US$2,797/t (+0.94%)

Oil (WTI): US$71.73/bbl (-0.26%)

Oil (Brent): US$75.41/bbl (-0.88%)

Iron 62pc Fe: US$97.24/t (-1.24%)

AUD/USD: 0.6747 (+0.00%)

Bitcoin: US$$60,787.10 (-0.68%)

 

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING

Yesterday, Earlybird Eddy filled in on Lunch Wrap, and did such a cracking job of it. Eddy’s a machine, and we are all the richer for his presence among us.

 

 

YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks:

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

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Yesterday’s Small Cap Winners included:

Thursday’s winners included First Lithium (ASX:FL1), which rose 63% higher after announcing the assay results for its recent drilling at the Blakala lithium prospect in Mali. The results from the Series Two drilling, which included RC pre-collars and diamond drill tails, show high-grade lithium levels. These results confirm the continuity and extension of the Main Pegmatite at depths between 60 to 100 metres, following earlier promising results. The drilling has revealed that the Main Pegmatite extends approximately 1,200 metres with consistent high-grade lithium, further supported by both surface sampling and previous drilling.

Australasian Metals (ASX:A8G) was also up 30% after announcing promising results from due diligence on the Dingo Hole Highly Pure Quartz (HPQ) Project. Sampling showed an average silica content of 99.95% SiO2 after preliminary acid leaching, aligning with historical data. The levels of aluminium, titanium, and lithium were extremely low. SRK Consulting estimates that the Exploration Target for Dingo Hole ranges from 10.4 million to 42.6 million tonnes, with silica grades between 99.37% and 99.85%. The next steps involve removing additional elements to reach higher purity levels, potentially up to 99.999%.

Castle Minerals (ASX:CDT) was another riser today after saying that it has completed a 1,106-metre, 9-hole RC drilling program at its Kpali Gold Project in Ghana. This drilling is the first phase of a larger campaign to explore the potential of a new gold camp in West Africa. Initial results from earlier drilling showed high-grade gold mineralisation, and the recent program included holes at both Kpali and the nearby Kpali East prospect.

The assay results from this drilling are expected by mid-September and will guide the next stages of exploration at Kpali and other nearby prospects. The project is located in a promising area known for major gold deposits.

hipages Group (ASX:HPG), which connects homeowners with tradespeople, saw a 13% increase in full year revenue, reaching $75.8 million. Recurring revenue grew by 15% to $72.1 million, while Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) both saw strong growth of 13% and 11%, respectively. EBITDA rose by 33% to $16.4 million, improving the margin to 22%.

Critical Resources (ASX:CRR)  gained after reporting results from its recent stripping program at the Tot pegmatite within the Mavis Lake Lithium Project in Ontario. The program revealed high lithium grades, including up to 3.79% Li2O. The Tot pegmatite shows significant high-grade spodumene mineralization over a 50-metre strike length. This supports the company’s Exploration Target of 18–29 million tonnes at 0.8–1.2% Li2O. The company plans further exploration and is well-positioned to benefit from growing sector activity.

And Osteopore (ASX:OSX) has completed successful pre-clinical studies in collaboration with the University of Chile. This work is part of a project funded by a US$360k grant from the Government of Chile and the University of Chile, aimed at developing a new type of 3D-printed bone implant designed to accelerate bone regeneration. The studies have shown that the new implant materials are compatible with bone, and promote faster bone growth. Specifically, they increased cell adhesion and bone-mineralising activity significantly compared to baseline levels. Osteopore now plans to start clinical trials in the latter half of 2025.

 

YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks:

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TRADING HALTS 

Dundas Minerals (ASX:DUN) – pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Cycliq (ASX:CYQ) – pending the release of an announcement in relation to a capital raising.

Perpetual (ASX:PPT) – pending the release of an announcement regarding a capital raising.

IPH (ASX:IPH) – pending an announcement in connection with a corporate transaction and associated equity capital raising.

 

At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While First Lithium was a Stockhead advertiser at the time of writing, it did not sponsor this article.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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