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

On Stockhead today, Guy Le Page dares you to buy Nickel Mines, how Ukrainian NFTs disempower Putin, and are fuel prices pushing up demand for EVs?

But first … the day ahead.

Local shares are set to open higher today. At 8am AEDT, the ASX 200 March futures is pointing up by 0.57%.

Listing at 12pm EST is Pure Resources (ASX:PR1), an explorer focussed on five gold, nickel and copper projects in the Kimberley and Eastern Goldfields regions of WA.

Then listing at 1pm EST is Many Peaks Gold (ASX:MPG), who are targeting gold and gold-copper in the southern part of the Yarrol Geological Province in Queensland.

TRADING HALTS

The following companies went into trading halts today and are expected out in the next few days:

Nanoveu Limited (ASX:NVU) – trading halt, pending the release of an announcement regarding a sales and product update.

Laneway Resources (ASX:LNY)  – trading halt, pending an outcome regarding the institutional component of its accelerated entitlement offer.

Golden Rim Resources (ASX:GMR) – trading halt, pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Golden Mile Resources (ASX:G88) – trading halt, pending an announcement regarding an acquisition and capital raising.

St George Mining (ASX:SGQ) – trading halt, pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

E2 Metals (ASX:E2M) – trading halt, pending an announcement regarding a capital raising.

MARKETS

Gold: $US1,920 (-1.60%)

Silver: $US24.85 (-0.63%)

Oil (WTI): $US95.39 (-7.30%)

Oil (Brent): $US98.90 (-7.50%)

Coal: $US361.50 (-0.07%)

Aust Coking Coal (steelmaking): $634.50/t (-0.1%)

Newcastle Coal (thermal): $197/t (0.00%)

Iron 62pc Fe: $US144.77 (-3.56%)

AUD/USD: $US0.7198(+0.03%)

Bitcoin: $US39,660(+2.45%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING YESTERDAY?

Everyone’s eyes were on Arizona Lithium’s (ASX:AZL) Big Sandy lithium project in the US.

The #US is looking to open new #batterymetals #mining operations within its borders, to reduce its reliance on imports within it’s #supplychains. $AZL is progressing the #BigSandy #lithium project in #Az.

See coverage from @StockheadAU ⬇️ https://t.co/ofqt06I3f9

— Arizona Lithium Limited (@ArizonaLithium) March 15, 2022

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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 BIGGEST WINNERS

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

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

Kincora Copper (ASX:KCC) was up on news of a “new geological discovery”  out at the easily-named ‘Trundle Park’ prospect, part of the relaxing, in your-own-good-time feel of the ‘Trundle’ project in NSW’s Lachlan Fold Belt.

Elsewhere in the limited sustainable agricultural technologies field Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies (ASX:ROO) got a little bump after signing a deal with US ag supplier GroPro Hydro to sell its Root Zone Temperature Optimisation get-up.

GroPro Hydro will offer the system in Oklahoma, the largest medicinal cannabis market in the US on a per capita basis.

Uniti Group (ASX:UWL)  enjoyed a fantastic few short hours of morning trade –  up 16.8% to $3.70 before screeching into a trading halt. Reporters at the Oz were saying there’s takeover talk afoot, and UWL returned to clean up the tail, ending about 26% ahead.

The Adelaide-HQ’d internet and telco firm (formerly known as Uniti Wireless), has been on a bit of an acquisition spree itself of late, developing a taste for communications infrastructure and more recently, energy companies.

Shares in Pushpay Holdings (ASX:PPH) are higher on Tuesday after the donor-management fintech, system… kind of business… for US charities with a bit of a religious bent  – reconfirmed and narrowed its guidance for FY2022.

PPH now expects underlying EBITDAFI to be between US$61.5 million and US$63.5 million (a few dollars better and tighter than its previously offered underlying EBITDAFI of between US$60.0 million and US$65.0 million).

Meanwhile, PharmAust (ASX:PAA) says it shipped its current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) grade flagship drug Monepantel (MPL) to the States, with the tableting process underway in San Diego. Completion of the manufacture of cGMP grade MPL tablets will clear the way for PAA’s planned Motor-Neuron Disease and Covid clinical trials.

YESTERDAY’S BIGGEST LOSERS

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

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

PolarX (ASX:PXX) was down despite recording assay results at Caribou Dome in Alaska showing copper grades higher than predicted.

PolarX has kicked off a full review of the resource model to include a follow-up drilling campaign to extend the known mineralisation.