Rise and Shine: Everything you need to know before the ASX opens

Good morning, and welcome to Rise and Shine on Friday, May 2, 2025.

Ukraine and the US have signed that long awaited critical minerals deal which will give the US a share of profits and royalties from the future sale of Ukrainian minerals and rare earths.

The Coalition Opposition released its costings ahead of the tomorrow’s national election.

Angus Taylor’s figures show a $7.9bn hit over the next to financial years compared to pre-election numbers from the Treasury, then a $21.8bn improvement in the two years after largely supported by $17.2bn in cuts driven heavily by sacking public servants in Canberra.

This would come by not filling vacancies apparently. The collapse of the deep state is nigh.

$118bn of spending on nuclear plants to 2050 is factored in but not plonked on the bottom line thanks to its “equity investment” status. Not the $600bn supposed by the Albanese Government mind you. We’ll see … or we may not.

On this day in 1803 the Jefferson Government effected the Louisiana Purchase, snaring the entire central portion of the modern day United States from France including the port of New Orleans for just US$15m.

Around 3c an acre, with inflation it amounts to US$340m, about enough to get you a tired WA gold mine or a Potts Point studio these days.

Napoleon had been threatening the re-establishment of the French colonial empire when Robert Livingston and James Monroe set foot in Paris to ask for just New Orleans and Florida for US$10m.

The French Army was struck with yellow fever in the Caribbean and a downtrodden Napoleon made offer himself, stunning Monroe and Livingston with its braindead generosity.

But you don’t need to sell your prized possessions for Monopoly money to get your hands on good pre-market info today, because we’ve sorted that all below.

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: US$3,237.07/oz (-2.15%)

Silver: US$32.15/oz (-1.37%)

Iron Ore: US$94.90/t (-1.41%)

Nickel (3mth): US$15,252/t (-1.08%)

Copper (3mth): US$9206/t (+0.89%)

Zinc: US$2577.50/t (-0.58%)

Lithium carbonate: US$8700/t (0.00%)

Oil (WTI): US$63.07 (-0.24%)

Oil (Brent): US$64.25 (-2.51%)

AUD/USD: 0.6399 (-0.05%)

Bitcoin: US$94,860.50 (+0.66%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING

It’s been a great quarterly reporting season for ASX uranium producers. But there are highlights to be found from these juniors as well. #asx #smallcaps #uranium #nuclear @Elevateuranium @aee_auraenergy $GRV @CR3minerals $BOE $PDN https://t.co/TEbx9DDKnc pic.twitter.com/QsWzE9o9hq

— Stockhead (@StockheadAU) April 30, 2025

Also in the news…

 It’s quarterly season! Take your pick of our ASX Quarterly report wraps, with lithium making inroads over in Resources, AI and semiconductors taking front of stage for tech stocks, and a raft of regulatory and clinical advancements in the healthcare sector.

Although we’ve mentioned the key points for both companies below, you can also check out more in-depth breakdowns of why Andromeda Metals (ASX:ADN) and Dimerix (ASX:DXB) were turning heads yesterday.

ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Today’s best performing small cap stocks:

Making news…

Andromeda Metals (ASX:ADN) has pulled off a major breakthrough, with lab tests showing it can produce ultra-high purity 4N HPA (99.9985%) using its own low-cost process and kaolin from the Great White Project in SA. The results have been confirmed by top labs in the US and CSIRO.

What sets this apart is the process. No high-pressure acid, no extreme heat, and no expensive aluminium metal. It’s cleaner, cheaper, and slashes carbon emissions by over two-thirds, ADN said.

Andromeda is now heading into a scoping study and will start working with customers to fine-tune the product for everything from semiconductors to batteries. After seven years of R&D, this could put it in the box seat as global HPA (high purity alumina) demand heats up, it said.

Dimerix (ASX:DXB) has just inked a big-ticket deal, handing over exclusive US rights to its kidney drug DMX-200 to Amicus Therapeutics for US$30 million up front, with another US$560 million on the table in milestone payments plus royalties down the track.

DMX-200 is currently in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for FSGS, a rare and deadly kidney disease with no approved treatments. The FDA has already agreed that proteinuria – a marker of excess protein in urine and a key sign of kidney damage – can be used in the primary measure for approval. Full trial enrolment is expected by the end of 2025.

ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Today’s worse performing small cap stocks:

Trading Halts

• AdNeo Limited (ASX: AD1) – cap raise
• Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) – debt refinancing
• Anax Metals (ASX:ANX) – strategic partnership and funding
• Bio-Gene Technology (ASX:BGT) – cap raise
• Caspin Resources (ASX:CPN) – cap raise
• Conrad Asia Energy (ASX:CRD) – cap raise
• Enlitic (ASX:ENL) – cap raise
• Excite Technology Services (ASX:EXT) – cap raise
• Felix Gold (ASX:FXG) – cap raise
• Hazer Group (ASX:HZR) – material strategic alliance
• Rox Resources (ASX:RXL) – cap raise
• Zimi (ASX:ZMM) – cap raise

At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Andromeda Metals and Dimerix are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.

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