In this week’s recap of substantial holders, one of Opthea’s biggest holders bought another $1.8 million, Regal Funds Management bought an 8.29 per cent stake in DroneShield and Perpetual topped up its stake in Select Harvests.

Substantial shareholders are shareholders holding 5 per cent or more of a company’s shares and these can be directors, individual investors or institutional investors.

Shareholders are required to announce to the exchange when they cross above or below the 5 per cent threshold and any change in their holdings while they remain above 5 per cent.

Buyers

Many of the major fund managers had been less active in recent weeks with school holidays. This week they were back.

So far in August the biggest success story was eye care stock Opthea (ASX: OPT) – its anti macular degeneration treatment passed its test with flying colours.

Its CEO told investors and brokers in the days afterwards that this was only the beginning for Opthea. One substantial holder that evidently agrees is Baker Brothers. The New York hedge fund manager had a stake over 8 per cent in Opthea and now it has 10.6 per cent having bought another $1.8 million.

Another company that’s had a good run of late is Dacian Gold (ASX: DCN). After production cuts sent it plunging, discoveries have gotten it back on track and Invesvo Australia are now a substantial holder – owning 5.02 per cent.

Alex Waislitz’s Thorney Technologies increased its stake in OneVue Holdings (ASX: OVH) and now owns nearly 13 per cent of the company.

Perpetual topped up its holdings in almond seller Select Harvests (ASX: SHV) to 11.64 per cent. Since October it made a $20 million half-yearly profit and is up over 40 per cent.

Regal Funds Management spent $4m on a stake in DroneShield (ASX: DRO). It now owns 8.29 per cent.

Paradice Investment Management spent $8.2 million on a 8.6 per cent stake on gold explorer Western Areas (ASX: WSA).

Malaysian entreprenuer Mark Chang Mun Kee put another $3.5 million into rare earths play Hastings Technology Metals (ASX: HAS).

IOOF topped up its holdings in Primero Group (ASX: PGX) and Otto Energy (ASX: OEL) to 13.78 per cent and 14.85 per cent respectively.

John Kahlbetzer’s Twynam Investments spent $4.2 million on a 5.06 per cent stake in graphene producer First Graphene (ASX: FGR).

Company Code Market Cap Holder Stake Status
Mt Burgess Mining MTB $970k Russell Bruce McCrory 6.73% Becoming
Gas2Grid GGX $3.8M James Morton 16.99% Increasing
Mt Burgess Mining MTB $970k John Hardie 5.77% Becoming
OveVue Holdings OVH $120.4M Thorney Technologies 12.89% Increasing
Dacian Gold DCN $244.1M Invesvo Australia 5.02% Becoming
Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technology ROO $5.0M Boaz Wachtel 6.18% Increasing
Rectifier Technologies RFT $84.8M Yanbin Wang 5.12% Becoming
Droneshield DRO $49.3M Walsh St Super Fund 6.18% Becoming
Bowen Coking Coal BCB $39.0M M Resources 6.35% Increasing
Dark Horse Resources DHR $8.1M David Mason 6.82% Becoming
Select Harvests SHV $679.7M Perpetual 11.64% Increasing
Primero Group PGX $63.4M IOOF 13.78% Increasing
Lindian Resources LIN $6.7M Ven Capital 9.49% Becoming
Agency Group AU1 $7.4M Honan Insurance 6.37% Becoming
Novonix NVX $78.8M Phillip St Baker 11.74% Becoming
Straker Translations STF $105.8M SkyOne Capital 9.80% Increasing
Tinybeans TNY $38.0M John McBain 7.75% Increasing
Calima Energy CE1 $31.5M Ian Burton 10.38% Increasing
Hastings Technology Metals HAS $137.6M Mun Kee Chang 8.50% Increasing
Credit Intelligence CI1 $15.0M Lim Chee Wei 7.42% Becoming
First Graphene FGR $103.2M Twynam Investments 5.06% Becoming
Kyckr KYK $12.8M IOOF 13.40% Increasing
Argent Minerals ARD $14.0M Marc Harding 7.96% Increasing
Law Finance LAW $28.1M EGP Capital 8.37% Increasing
Ruralco RHL $457.0M Maso Capital Investments 6.73% Becoming
Otto Energy OEL $127.9M IOOF 14.85% Increasing
DroneShield DRO $83.2M Regal Funds Management 8.29% Becoming
Western Areas WSA $667.5M Paradice Investment Management 8.60% Increasing
Site Group SIT $29.0M EGP Capital 14.07% Increasing
Peako PKO $2.1M Albers Group 61.96% Increasing
Black Cat Syndicate BC8 $29.4M Paul Chapman 8.86% Increasing
Northern Cobalt N27 $1.9M Yuyang Luo 5.45% Becoming
Ragnar Metals RAG $1.9M Steven Formica 5.33% Becoming
Po Valley Energy PVE $35.0M Paul Lambert 5.47% Becoming
Metal Search MSE $2.9M Sufian Ahmad 5% Becoming
Metal Search MSE $2.9M Bilal Ahmad 5% Becoming
Opthea OPT $658.5M Baker Bros 10.60% Increasing

Sellers

London broker Ruffer sold $1.2 million of its stake in Perseus Mining (ASX: PRU). The African-focused gold miner has more than doubled in 12 months due to staggering production levels.

Australian Ethical Investing ceased to be substantial holders of Australian Finance Group (ASX: AFG) while Vinva Asset Management fell below 5 per cent in Infomedia (ASX: IFM).

The betting sector is a curious sector on the ASX. On one hand many say it’s unethical or at least cringe at its annoying ads. But PointsBet (ASX: PBH) has gained over 50 per cent since listing and Betmakers Holdings (ASX: BET) has done likewise in a few weeks.

We noticed Industry Super Holdings reduced its stake in the latter to 6.03 per cent.

Company Code Market Cap Holder Current Stake Status
Integral Diagnostics IDX $526.2M Investors Mutual 8.26% Decreasing
Donaco DNA $94.7M KTXMICO Securities 3.37% Ceasing
Perseus Mining PRU $201.1M Ruffer 4.60% Ceasing
Botanix Pharmaceuticals BOT $167.8M Gayle McGarry 7.17% Decreasing
Collection House CLH $167.8M Mizikovsky Group 5.35% Decreasing
Australian Financial Group AFG $436.0M Australian Ethical Investment 4.88% Ceasing
Alita Resources A40 $121.1M Burwill Holdings 6.06% Decreasing
Berkerley Energia BKY $69.8M Fidelity 8.35% Decreasing
Infomedia IFM $547.9M Vinva Asset Management 4.97% Ceasing
Betmakers Holdings BET $26.9M Industry Super Holdings 6.03% Decreasing
Renegade Exploration RNX $3.6M Paul Bennett 5.11% Decreasing
At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While First Graphene is a Stockhead advertiser, it did not sponsor this article.