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

Pic: Rommel Gonzalez / EyeEm / EyeEm via Getty Images

On Stockhead today, Annapurna’s magical microcap picks, all the holiday IPOs you’ll be missing, and why China may have to dial back the bully act.

But first…

The day ahead

Today will see the final full trading day before Christmas. Tomorrow markets will open for a shorter day from 10am to 2.10pm (AEDT) before re-opening on Tuesday December 28.

Also today will be two of the 2020’s last IPOs in Benz Mining Corp (ASX:BNZ) and Payright (ASX:PYR) which are due to list at 11am and 11.30am respectively

The following companies are in trading halts and are expected to exit in the next two trading days:

WEDNESDAY:

Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) – updated pre-feasibility study
Dubber Corporation (ASX:DUB) – acquisition
Rafaella Resources (ASX:RFR) – capital raising
BuildingIQ (ASX:BIQ) – receivership appointment
Douugh (ASX:DOU) – acquisition
Rex Minerals (ASX:RXM) – project update

THURSDAY:

Brainchip (ASX:BRN) – material customer contract
Design Milk (ASX:DMC) – capital raising
Bigtincan (ASX:BTH) – capital raising

Markets

Gold: $US1,864.54 ($2,476.22) (-0.62%)

Silver: $US25.28 ($33.57) (-3.37%)

Oil (WTI): $US46.91 (-1.74%)

Oil (Brent): $US49.98 (-1.83%)

Coal: $US84.27 (+1.23%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US154.49 (-0.40%)

AUD/USD: $US0.7527 (-0.79%)

Bitcoin: $US23,415.78 (+2.65%)

What got you talking yesterday

Piquing our readers’ interest yesterday was the latest news on gold prices. Earlier this week spot gold hit a five-week high and for owners of a handful of ASX gold stocks with news, it was perfect timing.

Gold has risen to a five-week high of $US1,895 per ounce ($2,494/oz) in the lead-up to Christmas supported by a weak US dollar and talk of an incoming stimulus package for the US economy. https://t.co/2tm0pmjbpH #ASX #gold #silver $CDV $LCD $SLR pic.twitter.com/B1iKTFK0ip

— Stockhead (@StockheadAU) December 21, 2020

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Also, be sure to check in at 10.20am each day for our daily 10 at 10 column — a live summary of winners & losers at the opening bell.

Yesterday’s winners

Note: Stocks in yellow made market moving announcements yesterday

CODE	COMPANY	PRICE	%	VOLUME	MARKET CAP
AOA	Ausmon Resorces	0.005	25	25303952	$2,722,637.37
BAS	Bass Oil Ltd	0.0015	50	749000	$3,342,140.10
BOA	Boadicea Resources	0.22	16	18600	$11,750,691.74
BUG	Buderim Group Ltd	0.23	28	1587636	$22,107,732.84
COB	Cobalt Blue Ltd	0.135	17	800463	$27,970,512.41
CUL	Cullen Resources	0.021	17	603210	$5,398,517.83
CZN	Corazon Ltd	0.003	50	5743082	$6,506,718.29
DM1	Desert Metals	0.605	20	677943	$17,675,000.00
DTR	Dateline Resources	0.003	20	390000	$20,525,195.19
FIJ	Fiji Kava Limited	0.11	18	2023648	$10,110,228.28
FRX	Flexiroam Limited	0.022	16	21257898	$9,512,293.57
GME	GME Resources Ltd	0.058	16	125002	$27,843,346.50
GTG	Genetic Technologies	0.008	14	621333	$57,832,087.20
HNR	Hannans Ltd	0.006	20	13171518	$9,976,022.70
KP2	Kore Potash PLC	0.034	70	9705247	$4,659,889.44
KTE	K2 Energy Ltd	0.027	12	1046390	$7,215,771.62
LER	Leaf Res Ltd	0.037	66	29702291	$18,959,275.22
MSG	Mcs Services Limited	0.041	17	577730	$6,519,609.50
PNN	PepinNini Minerals	0.31	107	20056053	$4,958,178.00
TAR	Taruga Minerals	0.051	13	2386059	$20,574,067.77
TGO	Growthops Ltd	0.062	38	322025	$6,837,515.91
UUV	UUV Aquabotix Ltd	0.0015	50	19691464	$2,388,374.81

Yesterday’s losers

CODE	COMPANY	PRICE	%	VOLUME	MARKET CAP
AVW	Avira Resources	0.006	-14	1976435	$9,625,280.00
BKY	Berkeley Energia	0.64	-14	104068	$191,368,010.80
CCE	Carnegie Cln Energy	0.0015	-25	3730500	$22,659,571.56
CGB	Cann Global	0.006	-14	36406929	$35,584,012.57
CGN	Crater Gold Min Ltd	0.014	-18	962820	$20,867,429.74
CLZ	Classic Min Ltd	0.001	-50	78633649	$30,536,536.61
CPT	Cipherpoint	0.045	-13	3540779	$7,284,010.14
CVV	Caravel Minerals	0.18	-16	4464327	$61,786,681.30
DEX	Duke Exploration	0.34	-16	839941	$24,436,489.46
INV	Investsmart Group	0.082	-18	6666	$13,853,953.50
LCD	Latitude Consolidated	0.025	-17	10326010	$8,387,723.01
LSR	Lodestar Minerals	0.013	-24	3289797	$14,497,633.90
NPM	Newpeak Metals	0.0025	-17	5563016	$14,004,487.53
RFN	Reffind Limited	0.0015	-25	1000000	$3,364,873.41
RLC	Reedy Lagoon Corp	0.015	-25	13287737	$9,394,675.68
ROG	Red Sky Energy	0.0015	-25	174133	$4,092,366.55
SMI	Santana Minerals	0.145	-17	589004	$19,955,711.30
VPR	Volt Power Group	0.0025	-17	1762883	$27,508,600.67
XST	Xstate Resources	0.003	-25	31812580	$7,244,963.59
YPB	YPB Group Ltd	0.002	-20	2250000	$10,570,897.45