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

On Stockhead today, why Guy Le Page likes PDI, 5 potential winners from NSW’s big green energy splurge, and how battery metals could rival oil.

But first … the day ahead.

Last night marked the unofficial start of the American earnings season, with JPMorgan Chase, Blackrock and Delta Air Lines all posting quarterly results.

Profit results will continue all month, with the leading US tech stocks scheduled to release their numbers in the dying stages of October, Commsec says.

Today, the Australian Bureau of Stats issues the Sept employment report.

CBA Group economists expect that the data will show around 200,000 job ‘losses’ nationally, with the unemployment rate lifting to 5% from a 12.5 year low of 4.5%.

And at 9am AEDT, Reserve Bank Dep Governor Guy Debelle delivers an online speech – ‘Climate Risks and the Australian Financial System’ – to the CFA Australian Investment Conference.

TRADING HALTS

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

Thursday

Charger Metals (ASX:CHR) – exploration update
Bounty Oil & Gas (ASX:BUY) – capital raising and acquisition
Kingwest Resources (ASX:KWR) – capital raising
Neurotech (ASX:NTI) – patent
Lodestar Minerals (ASX:LSR) – capital raising
Kalium Lakes (ASX:KLL) – financing arrangements

Friday

Firefly Resources (ASX:FFR) – updated mine planning information
Digital Wine Ventures (ASX:DW8) – capital raising and acquisition
Jadar Resources (ASX:JDR) – acquisition
Strickland Metals (ASX:STK) – drilling results
Adriatic Metals (ASX:ADT) – capital raising
Titomic (ASX:TTT) – capital raising

MARKETS

Gold: $US1,791.96 ($2,427.61) (+1.69%)

Silver: $US23.05 ($31.23) (+2.06%)

Oil (WTI): $US80.55 (-0.11%)

Oil (Brent): $US83.30 (-0.14%)

Coal: $US247.00 (+1.92%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US122.29 (+3.77%)

AUD/USD: $US0.7380 (+0.41%)

Bitcoin: $US57,324.50 ($77,658.93) (+4.50%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING YESTERDAY?

Obscure Chinese rare earths stock/car leasing business Viagold (ASX:VIA) has managed a +4,000% gain ‘on no news’ in the last month and a half.

Guess what? Now VIA is in a trading halt “pending an announcement in relation to entering into a Memorandum of Understanding relating to the Company’s rare earth mining services business”.

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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

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

Nickel play Cannon Resources (ASX:CNR) was the standout winner after happening across some thick nickel sulphides in the first three drill holes at its ‘Musket’ prospect, which sits within the Fisher East project in WA.

Iron ore explorer Equinox Resources (ASX:EQN) had a sparkling debut, closing at 27c for a day-one IPO gain of 35% after raising $9m from investors at 20c per share.

There was also a big move higher in infant formula manufacturer Bubs (ASX:BUB), which flagged quarterly sales growth of 265% into China through the daigou channel.

Also outside of resources, clean-tech company 1414 Degrees (ASX:14D), which sells silicon-based thermal storage technology, held its gains after stitching up a deal with oil & gas major Woodside (ASX:WPL).

And among the many uranium winners, Bannerman Resources (ASX:BMN) led the pack with an intraday gain of around 30%.

YESTERDAY’S LOSERS

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