After a couple of pretty ordinary days for local markets, there’s a feeling in the air that investors are getting hungrier than ever for a decent result – and the best way to make sure you’re ahead of the game is to get settled in early to learn what you can before the bells ring at the ASX and the madness descends once more.

To help you get your bearing this morning, both Reuben and Josh are “slaving away” at the annual Diggers and Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie – think of it like an extremely hairy B&S Ball, complete with utes doing circle work and kegs running dry.

And, as if he owes us all penance for bending the elbow a little this week, Reubs has also got an interesting yarn on Rare Earths this morning, featuring none other than Lynas Rare Earths which is well and truly on the hunt for the heavies.

And Josh Chiat’s grabbed a special moment with PLS and PMT supremo Ken Brinsden who’s waxing on all about what the next 10 years will bring for miracle mineral lithium. With a bounus Photoshop job from the experts here in our own version of ILM Stockhead.

And because too much battery is never enough, Cam’s got a wrap up of what’s happening in all the other battery metals playgrounds, with a dash of extra copper just to keep things nice and spicy.

To whet your appetite before that, though, here are the digits and data to get the ball rolling today.

 

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: US$1,924.99 (-0.59%)

Silver: US$22.77 (-1.61%)

Nickel (3mth): US$20,835/t (-1.27%)

Copper (3mth): US$8,290.05/t (-2.3%)

Oil (WTI): US$82.84  (+1.09%)

Oil (Brent): US$86.07 (+0.84%)

Iron 62pc Fe: US$104.41/t (-0.31%)

AUD/USD: 0.6542  (-0.3%)

Bitcoin: US$29,859 (+2.46%)

 

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING

Everyone’s getting their glow on for uranium…

 

YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks:

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Yesterday’s Small Caps standouts were:

Errawarra Resources (ASX:ERW) was way out in front of the rest of the small caps pack – up more than 52% late in the day thanks to a bonus-round of continued nearology-driven investment, because next door neighbour Azure Minerals’ (ASX:AZS) can’t stop finding lithium.

Ensurance (ASX:ENA) was in second place, up more than 32% on news that the company has entered a binding scheme implementation deed with PSC Insurance Group (ASX:PSI), which will see the latter acquire 100% of ENA.

PSC Insurance says the price is to be “the greater of $25.2 million and 5,000,000 PSC shares – to be satisfied by way of the issue of 5,000,000 PSC shares with any difference between the value of those shares and the purchase price of $25.2 million to be paid in cash”.

The transaction values ENA at no less than $25.2 million and each ENA share at 28 cents per ENA share, with ENA shareholders set to receive approximately 0.056 new PSC share for each ENA share they hold.

And Hawsons Iron (ASX:HIO) popped more than 22% on news that Stage 2 resource analysis of exploration drilling results has confirmed the presence of a prospective, near-surface zone hosting magnetite mineralisation at targeted grades at its self-titled magnetite project in Western NSW, 60km southwest of Broken Hill.

The near-surface discovery has opened up options for Hawsons to change tack in terms of mining strategy, which could see the company significantly shorten the project’s ramp-up to full production.

 

YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks:

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TRADING HALTS

Limeade (ASX:LME) – Halt called pending the outcome of the special shareholders meeting to approve to the merger between Limeade and WebMD Health Corp.

Adriatic Metals (ASX:ADT) – Capital raising.

MPower (ASX:MPR) – Finalisation of a refinancing transaction.

 

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