Good morning everyone, and welcome to 28 March, 2024 – an important day in the history of modern cinema, as it was on this day in the Year 37 that a fella called Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus accepted the titles of the Principate, the wheels came off Ancient Rome, and the historical seed of the 1979 biographical film Caligula was planted.
The movie is, arguably, one of the most revolting things ever committed to film, starring Malcolm MacDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and John Geilgud – and more shockingly hairy porn stars than you could feed to a pride of lions.
Renowned film critic Roger Ebert famously described the film as “sickening, utterly worthless [and] shameful”.
The Guardian calls it “an irresistible mix of art and genitals” … because that’s just how they roll.
Personally, it’s one of the most (but not the most) offensive movies I’ve ever seen. Morally bankrupt, unnecessarily pornographic and violent beyond any reasonable measure of decency.
4 out of 5 stars.
On a much nicer note, the Stockhead team has been hard at work making sense of the market for your pleasure this morning, with a panoply of stock-related treasures to explore at your disposal across our glorious pages.
Guy Le Page has a base metals bargain for you (his words), Cam Drummond knows where to find germanium, and Eddy explains trading halts, pauses, and suspensions. Pay attention.
And – as always – there’s words and numbers down below for you to sink your teeth into, so you don’t get caught up in the madness, and end up like Caligula – broke, sticky and confused.
COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES
Gold: US$2,193.19 (+0.7%)
Silver: US$24.61 (+0.75%)
Nickel (3mth): US$16,937/t (-1.77%)
Copper (3mth): US$8,862/t (-0.12%)
Oil (WTI): US$81.72 (+0.15%)
Oil (Brent): US$86.32 (+0.1%)
Iron 62pc Fe: US$109.84/t (-0.4%)
AUD/USD: 0.6523 (-0.17%)
Bitcoin: US$69,000 (-1.5%)
WHAT GOT YOU TALKING
How much energy can a uranium bull run contain? Here’s what the experts had to say to Stockhead yesterday.
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:
| Code | Name | Price | % Change | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSX | Osteopore Limited | 30.50 | 369.23 | 4,313,114 | $671,365 |
| AD1 | AD1 Holdings Limited | 1.00 | 66.67 | 719,223 | $5,391,890 |
| TLM | Talisman Mining | 25.00 | 42.86 | 3,468,759 | $32,956,061 |
| PTR | Petratherm Ltd | 3.00 | 36.36 | 518,609 | $4,944,525 |
| SKN | Skin Elements Ltd | 0.40 | 33.33 | 1,207,740 | $1,768,458 |
| WNR | Wingara Ag Ltd | 1.50 | 25.00 | 150,000 | $2,106,510 |
| CTN | Catalina Resources | 0.50 | 25.00 | 319,739 | $4,953,948 |
| ESR | Estrella Res Ltd | 0.50 | 25.00 | 3,999,848 | $7,037,487 |
| SIT | Site Group Int Ltd | 0.25 | 25.00 | 429,000 | $5,204,980 |
| TMR | Tempus Resources Ltd | 0.50 | 25.00 | 1,700,000 | $2,923,995 |
| EIQ | Echoiq Ltd | 13.50 | 20.00 | 1,503,246 | $55,704,867 |
| EMT | Emetals Limited | 0.60 | 20.00 | 1,650,802 | $4,250,000 |
| EXL | Elixinol Wellness | 0.60 | 20.00 | 15,678,652 | $6,328,716 |
| LRL | Labyrinth Resources | 0.60 | 20.00 | 2,575,926 | $5,937,719 |
| MHC | Manhattan Corp Ltd | 0.30 | 20.00 | 200,000 | $7,342,449 |
| BIO | Biome Australia Ltd | 39.50 | 19.70 | 671,758 | $69,963,514 |
| BRK | Brookside Energy Ltd | 1.40 | 16.67 | 28,958,052 | $57,174,548 |
| CCO | The Calmer Co Int | 0.35 | 16.67 | 35,307 | $3,548,090 |
| AFP | Aft Pharmaceuticals | 291.00 | 16.40 | 1,111 | $262,165,650 |
| LVH | Livehire Limited | 2.90 | 16.00 | 264,962 | $9,157,638 |
| RFT | Rectifier Technolog | 2.20 | 15.79 | 6,021,741 | $26,257,695 |
| HPC | Thehydration | 1.50 | 15.38 | 10,000 | $3,446,843 |
| BUX | Buxton Resources Ltd | 11.50 | 15.00 | 68,014 | $17,324,689 |
| FLN | Freelancer Ltd | 23.00 | 15.00 | 91,824 | $90,182,976 |
| PNN | Power Minerals Ltd | 15.50 | 14.81 | 569,375 | $11,795,774 |
Yesterday’s Small Cap Winners included:
Talisman Mining (ASX:TLM) jumped nicely on news that follow-up diamond drilling has intersected multiple zones of massive sulphide galena-sphalerite-chalcopyrite (lead-zinc-copper) mineralisation at the Durnings Prospect, part of the 100%-owned Lachlan Project in NSW.
Similarly, Argent Minerals (ASX:ARD) spiked after revealing that two major mineralisation extensions from the Kempfield Deposit have been discovered through surface sampling along strike from Lode 300 Mineralised Block, which contains 5.1Moz Ag @ 102 AgEq (g/t), totalling 65.1 Moz Silver equivalent resource. The company notes that high-grade surface rock chips highlight big potential here.
Medtech company Echo IQ (ASX:EIQ) climbed after telling the market that it has completed its US Reader Study, a “key step” towards securing final FDA clearance for its cardiology decision-support technology, and an important milestone in Echo IQ’s commercial development.
And EZZ Life Science (ASX:EZZ) has risen after dropping an investor prezzo, which included news that the company has lifted revenue 43% from $15.1m in 1H FY23 to $21.7m in 1H FY24, with a gross margin of 70% stable for the period.
Osteopore (ASX:OSX) announced that it has received clearance from two regulators, namely Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Vietnam’s Department of Medical Equipment and Construction (DMEC), for its aXOpore product, which is essentially a porous lattice that is used around existing bones, which mimics the natural bone microstructure to promote new bone growth.
However… this massive spike comes on the tail of a recent huge fall in share price for Osteopore, after the company went to market seeking $3,000,000 through a placement priced at a massive 94.42% discount to last closing price. That came about through a number of factors, including an ill-timed 15:1 consolidation.
YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS
Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks:
Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:
| Code | Name | Price | % Change | Volume | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAS | Hastings Tech Met | 43.00 | -28.93 | 2,627,758 | $78,775,024 |
| CNJ | Conico Ltd | 0.15 | -25.00 | 3,000,000 | $3,140,190 |
| LSR | Lodestar Minerals | 0.15 | -25.00 | 5,179,597 | $4,046,795 |
| MRD | Mount Ridley Mines | 0.15 | -25.00 | 487,475 | $15,569,766 |
| MRQ | Mrg Metals Limited | 0.15 | -25.00 | 202,339 | $5,050,237 |
| RIE | Riedel Resources Ltd | 0.30 | -25.00 | 180,459 | $8,895,343 |
| RMX | Red Mount Min Ltd | 0.15 | -25.00 | 636,349 | $5,347,152 |
| PTM | Platinum Asset | 103.25 | -20.88 | 11,859,279 | $759,728,086 |
| BDG | Black Dragon Gold | 1.90 | -20.83 | 776,710 | $5,418,424 |
| FAU | First Au Ltd | 0.20 | -20.00 | 1,516,176 | $4,154,983 |
| MCT | Metalicity Limited | 0.20 | -20.00 | 668,853 | $11,212,634 |
| MOM | Moab Minerals Ltd | 0.40 | -20.00 | 33,080 | $3,559,817 |
| PRX | Prodigy Gold NL | 0.40 | -20.00 | 8,670,895 | $8,755,539 |
| SCT | Scout Security Ltd | 0.80 | -20.00 | 100,000 | $2,324,274 |
| PBL | Parabellumresources | 5.70 | -18.57 | 294,999 | $4,361,000 |
| BKT | Black Rock Mining | 6.80 | -17.07 | 5,250,822 | $89,992,737 |
| IXU | Ixup Limited | 1.50 | -16.67 | 68,125 | $19,575,641 |
| SOV | Sovereign Cloud Hldg | 3.00 | -16.67 | 7,733,307 | $12,218,424 |
| CCZ | Castillo Copper Ltd | 0.50 | -16.67 | 50,000 | $7,797,032 |
| CRB | Carbine Resources | 0.50 | -16.67 | 1,473,681 | $3,310,427 |
| OPN | Oppenneg | 0.50 | -16.67 | 275,000 | $6,775,078 |
| SRR | Saramaresourcesltd | 2.00 | -16.67 | 583,234 | $1,925,258 |
| VRC | Volt Resources Ltd | 0.50 | -16.67 | 1,212,315 | $24,780,640 |
| 8CO | 8Common Limited | 3.70 | -15.91 | 570,156 | $9,860,176 |
| LCL | LCL Resources Ltd | 1.10 | -15.38 | 524,900 | $12,417,932 |
TRADING HALTS
Cyclone Metals (ASX: CLE) – pending an announcement regarding the Company’s Operational Update and Investor Presentation released via ASX Announcement earlier today.
Excite Technology Services (ASX: EXT) – pending an announcement by the Company to the market in respect of a proposed capital raising.
Ava Risk Group (ASX: AVA) – pending an announcement relating to a capital raise.
APM Human Services (ASX:APM) – pending the release of an update in relation to the receipt of a letter from CVC advising that they are unable to proceed to finalise a transaction on terms consistent with their non-binding offer, ending CVC’s exclusivity period.
Kingston Resources (ASX: KSN) – pending the release of an announcement regarding a capital raise.
Pantera Minerals (ASX:PFE) – pending an announcement regarding a material capital raise to be managed by CPS Capital.
SomnoMed (ASX: SOM) – pending the Company making an announcement regarding a trading update and earnings guidance.