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

On Stockhead today, the Niobium Rush is on and this time it’s real, why oil prices might be staying up this time, and how to buy $100 reds for less than $35 ikr.

But first, to the day ahead.

TRADING HALTS

Cirrus Networks (ASX:CNW) – pending clarification on yesterday’s announcement titled ‘Cirrus NVIDIA Collaboration’.

Southern Hemisphere Mining (ASX:SUH) – capital raising.

Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC) – capital raising.

Magnis Energy Technologies (ASX:MNS) – to finalise documentation and the disclosure in relation to a proposed material fund raising.

Toys ‘R’ US (ASX:TOY) – entitlement offer.

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: $US1960.09 (+0.15%)

Silver: $US24.86 (+2.99%)

Nickel (3mth): $US21,230/t (-2.10%)

Copper (3mth): $US8,707/t (+2.44%)

Oil (WTI): $US77.39 (+2.17%)

Oil (Brent): $US81.60 (+1.84%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US110.61/t (+1.16%)

AUD/USD: 0.69 (+1.5%)

Bitcoin: $US31,282 (+3.00%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING?

It’s a tough market but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any easy answers…

In a tough market Katana's Romano Sala Tenna says battery metals like lithium and copper continue to standout.https://t.co/ytXefQ2aOe

— Stockhead (@StockheadAU) July 13, 2023

Keep up to date with Stockhead coverage or you’ll miss gold like that EVERY DAY. Follow our Twitter page.

For all you crypto lovers Stockhead’s Coinhead Facebook group is the place to share your views, insights, tips and ideas.

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.

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	Company	Price	%	Volume	Market Cap
ME1	Melodiol Glb Health	0.01	54%	121,072,620	$17,475,599
RBR	RBR Group Ltd	0.003	50%	2,560,995	$3,236,809
AAP	Australian Agri Ltd	0.017	42%	340,239	$3,661,194
AMD	Arrow Minerals	0.004	33%	19,645,801	$9,071,295
CLE	Cyclone Metals	0.002	33%	499,999	$15,396,757
BEZ	Besragoldinc	0.285	30%	5,540,072	$77,849,615
AOA	Ausmon Resorces	0.0045	29%	6,534,481	$3,392,513
TSN	The Sust Nutri Grp	0.009	29%	4,200	$985,340
MHK	Metalhawk.	0.14	27%	410,378	$7,487,681
CCZ	Castillo Copper Ltd	0.01	25%	3,139,394	$10,396,043
CZN	Corazon Ltd	0.02	25%	16,615,559	$9,765,289
ERL	Empire Resources	0.005	25%	155,474	$4,451,740
LSR	Lodestar Minerals	0.005	25%	3,976,009	$7,373,589
MRQ	Mrg Metals Limited	0.0025	25%	743,333	$3,971,837
KIN	KIN Min NL	0.04	21%	626,579	$38,878,968
SUH	Southern Hem Min	0.023	21%	613,166	$8,975,696
1ST	1St Group Ltd	0.006	20%	42,237	$7,084,956
PNX	PNX Metals Limited	0.003	20%	1,271,011	$13,451,562
OZM	Ozaurum Resources	0.05	19%	100,000	$5,334,000
PPG	Pro-Pac Packaging	0.255	19%	15,633	$39,062,858
ACB	A-Cap Energy Ltd	0.051	19%	4,085,804	$52,994,709
ARD	Argent Minerals	0.014	17%	845,129	$14,147,775
CAV	Carnavale Resources	0.007	17%	78,128,833	$16,401,310
EDE	Eden Inv Ltd	0.0035	17%	1,158,659	$8,990,833
LNU	Linius Tech Limited	0.0035	17%	270,000	$11,366,372

The small cap leader yesterday was Melodiol Global Health (ASX:ME1) which reported preliminary net sales of $4.74 million for the June quarter, up 105% from the previous quarter and 202% higher than the prior year comparative period, across its two subsidiaries.

The increase in net sales takes unaudited sales for the first half of CY23 to $7.05 million, which marks a 64% uplift on H1 CY22.

Arrow Minerals (ASX:AMD) uncovered two high grade (+58% fe) iron ore targets from rock chip sampling at Kalako, part of the flagship Simandou North project in Guinea.

Scout drilling is continuing, with five holes completed at the Dalabatini target zone and 8 holes completed at the Kowouleni target zone to date.

And Castillo Copper (ASX:CCZ) says the preliminary pit optimisation study for the Big One Deposit, part of the NWQ Copper Project, delivered a $28m Net Present Value (NPV).

Key findings indicate an initially optimised pit shell could potentially deliver up to 6,266t copper (head grade: 1.42% Cu), 4,362oz silver (head grade: 0.31 g/t Ag) and 1,469t cobalt (head grade: 0.33% Co).

The company says the study provides “significant confidence a standalone mining operation can potentially be developed.”

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	Company	Price	%	Volume	Market Cap
EMC	Everest Metals Corp	0.235	-31%	6,359,435	$44,007,257
TIG	Tigers Realm Coal	0.005	-29%	439,161	$91,466,917
KEY	KEY Petroleum	0.0015	-25%	1,350,001	$3,935,856
OAR	OAR Resources Ltd	0.003	-25%	100,000	$10,284,152
AT1	Atomo Diagnostics	0.039	-25%	5,279,075	$29,686,332
MOB	Mobilicom Ltd	0.0125	-22%	23,870,399	$21,226,827
NIS	Nickelsearch	0.063	-21%	5,449,458	$7,620,829
IAM	Income Asset	0.1	-20%	211,911	$35,002,603
CCO	The Calmer Co Int	0.002	-20%	1,501,768	$1,410,194
RGS	Regeneus Ltd	0.009	-18%	1,551,054	$3,370,806
IBX	Imagion Biosys Ltd	0.024	-17%	12,699,736	$33,862,308
IRX	Inhalerx Limited	0.035	-17%	74,723	$7,970,212
AJX	Alexium Int Group	0.015	-17%	214,567	$11,725,016
PIM	Pinnacleminerals	0.1	-17%	864,771	$3,069,000
MXC	Mgc Pharmaceuticals	0.005	-17%	1,322,355	$20,104,158
CHW	Chilwaminerals	0.165	-15%	50,000	$8,945,625
NUH	Nuheara Limited	0.165	-15%	551,163	$38,428,627
OPN	Oppenneg	0.006	-14%	785,937	$1,697,710
ATV	Activeportgroupltd	0.1	-13%	99,999	$20,304,104
BKG	Booktopia Group	0.135	-13%	9,386	$23,419,760
CUF	Cufe Ltd	0.014	-13%	1,092,423	$15,457,798
IVX	Invion Ltd	0.007	-13%	20,000	$51,373,058
KNM	Kneomedia Limited	0.0035	-13%	4,578,725	$6,019,141
MTB	Mount Burgess Mining	0.0035	-13%	9,591,470	$3,532,684
ADD	Adavale Resource Ltd	0.021	-13%	2,464,601	$12,558,254