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

On Stockhead today, who are Australia’s longest-suffering tech investors, how green is Woodside’s hydrogen plan, and the reality of biofuel coming to save us all.

But first… the day ahead.

Local shares are set to open higher today. At 8am AEST, the ASX 200 August futures contract is pointing up by 0.36%.

No one’s listing today. Sometimes we get nostalgic for those times in 2021 when three spin-offs dropped on the bourse each day with the manic frequency of cloud rap mixtapes in the early 2010s.

Then again, maybe not.

Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM), Stockland (ASX:SGP) and AGL (ASX:AGL) headline the earnings crowd today.

TRADING HALTS

Orecorp (ASX:ORR) – OreCorp approaches, bearing news of a DFS from the far-flung Nyanzaga Gold Project in Tanzania

Invex Therapeutics (ASX:IXC) – The FDA has replied to Invex’s postcard about starting its IIH EVOLVE Phase III clinical trial in the United States

MACA (ASX:MLD) – Maca’s called for a timeout to respond to media gossip about an NRW offer coming over the top of Thiess’ accepted takeover bid. Speaking of which…

NRW Holdings (ASX:NWH) – NRW also called for a water break, only to later say it lobbed a $1.085 cash and share offer, to which MACA said no thanks.

PTB Group (ASX:PTB) – Rumours are swirling around a potential control transaction, which PTB will tell us all about. Soon. Ish. Maybe.

TEK-Ocean Group (ASX:T3K) – Capital Raise.

CardieX (ASX:CDX) – Capital Raise.

Stellar Resources (ASX:SRZ) – Capital Raise.

Fertoz (ASX:FTZ) – Capital Raise.

Nutritional Growth Solutions (ASX:NGS) – Capital Raise.

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: $US1,758.42 (-0.15%)

Silver: $US19.54 (-1.51%)

Nickel (3mth): $US21,775/t (-0.50%)

Copper (3mth): $US8,030/t (+1.33%)

Lithium Carbonate, China (Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, Aug 3): $US69,825/t

Lithium Hydroxide, China (Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, Aug 3): $US70,000/t

Oil (WTI): $US90.30 (+2.49%)

Oil (Brent): $US96.25 (+2.78%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US106.05 (+0.54%)

AUD/USD: 0.6913 (-0.06%)

Bitcoin: $US23,390 (+0.26%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING YESTERDAY?

Lithium, manganese, high purity alumina and this sick pic of a stallion with wheels for legs got you revved up yesterday.

– $BCA’s releases scoping study for the Flanagan Bore #Manganese project
– $MMG secures an option to acquire the Brisk #Lithium Project in Quebec
– $CMX gets the green light to build a #HPA pilot plant#ASX https://t.co/EOyf0DxCEb

— Stockhead (@StockheadAU) August 18, 2022

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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.

YESTERDAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP WINNERS

(Stocks highlighted in yellow rose after making announcements during the trading day).

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.

In Small Caps news, sperm-spinning bio-tech Memphasys (ASX:MEM) retreated from a monstrous 72%+ climb, settling at a far more sedate 27% for the day, after announcing a $3.36 million capital raising to accelerate commercialisation of its Felix IVF system and continue development of other pipeline products.

Black Canyon (ASX:BCA) held steady with a 27% spike after announcing good news in a scoping study evaluating the potential development of the Flanagan Bore Manganese Project, in WA’s Pilbara region.

YESTERDAY’S BIGGEST SMALL CAP LOSERS

(Stocks highlighted in yellow fell after making announcements during the trading day).

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.

While it only took Oceana Lithium (ASX:OCN) a day to climb from $0.55 to $0.695 on Tuesday, it can take some small comfort in knowing that it took the company two full days to hand the whole lot back, falling 15.2% today.