Closing Bell: ASX up for another day, Optus plugs back in as Telstra gains

The ASX has closed higher for the second consecutive day, up 0.26% to 6,995.40 points
Information technology, real estate and industrial topped today’s winners
HeraMed up after trial into its maternity care platforms at Gold Coast Hospital

Right then, that was a hump day on the bourse. How di…

[SFX: white noise]

… sorry about that, stupid WiFi… we’re back. Now that calf-bulging Optus technicians have jumped on the back-up, cycle-powered generators, our interwebs is working again.

How did the ASX200 end up? We have a ripped ASX graphic for that, and lo… here it is:

Source: ASX

The Aussie share market did okay then on the whole, offset by losses from some of the bigger mining players and in the energy sector.

The Optus outage has, of course dominated headlines today. Nadine’s Lunch Wrap had deets, including disgruntled pets nationwide apparently going starving due to WiFi-powered automated pet feeders breaking down (whatever happened with just telling kids to feed the cat!) The RSPCA would surely have been called, if comms were working.

The update since then, though? Tiddles and Fluffy are fine, Optus has flicked the off/on switch a few times and is largely back up and running and Telstra (ASX:TLS) has gained quite nicely (+1.8%) off the back of all the telco-failure drama.

Also, our Tasmanian farmer editor has reluctantly re-emerged from his baked-beans, Commando comics, and whisky-stocked fallout bunker now that order has been restored and tech armageddon has been averted.

Everyone with #optus waking up this morning pic.twitter.com/R9S6twAfUg

— Adrian Murdoch (@adrianjmurdoch) November 7, 2023

ASX Sectors on Wednesday

Source: Market Index

Information technology, real estate and industrial topped the winners today. Materials led the laggards, followed by the energy sector.

Ripped from the headlines

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has alleged that Qantas (ASX:QAN) omitted essential information in its defence against claims of selling tickets for flights that had already been cancelled.

During a case management hearing in the Federal Court, Chris Caleo, KC, the barrister representing the consumer watchdog, suggested it might be required to obtain orders compelling the airline to provide additional information.

Oil prices tumbled to a three-month low due to the forecasted decrease in US gasoline consumption, contributing to further signs of a deteriorating demand outlook.

The global benchmark Brent approached $81/barrel following a 4.2% decline on Tuesday, while WTI hovered around $77/barrel.

According to a US government report, US gasoline demand is expected to reach a 20-year low on a per-capita basis next year, with rising pump prices and inflation likely leading to reduced discretionary driving.

TODAY’S 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 CLE Cyclone Metals 0.002 100% 24,818,999 $10,264,505 GSM Golden State Mining 0.025 56% 28,362,763 $3,057,412 WML Woomera Mining Ltd 0.017 42% 50,596,660 $11,474,335 NIS Nickel Search 0.12 41% 33,126,972 $13,625,272 TG6 TG Metals 1.1 40% 8,362,477 $31,636,710 AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.032 39% 108,982,379 $76,332,079 BRN Brainchip Ltd 0.25 39% 31,167,355 $322,210,466 KZA Kazia Therapeutics 0.11 38% 1,035,042 $18,907,950 HMD HeraMED Limited 0.045 36% 399,133 $9,223,968 SMN Structural Monitor 0.7 35% 360,868 $69,773,406 GRE Greentech Metals 0.85 33% 2,786,192 $36,370,488 QXR Qx Resources Limited 0.034 31% 10,948,300 $28,748,924 OZM Ozaurum Resources 0.155 29% 8,586,453 $19,050,000 BUS Bubalus Resources 0.205 28% 265,780 $5,147,788 KOB Koba Resourcesl 0.084 25% 15,862 $7,062,917 AM7 Arcadia Minerals 0.08 25% 235,334 $6,979,206 GTG Genetic Technologies 0.0025 25% 28,816 $23,083,316 RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.005 25% 651,603 $2,466,734 NWC New World Resources 0.032 23% 11,894,033 $58,805,293 IMU Imugene Limited 0.081 23% 220,046,714 $472,888,341 ARV Artemis Resources 0.033 22% 13,685,300 $42,590,296 HTA Hutchison 0.036 20% 23,370 $407,175,257 NXS Next Science Limited 0.36 20% 581,573 $87,508,531 1MC Morella Corporation 0.006 20% 388,626 $30,817,964

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It’s been a good day for Golden State Mining (ASX:GSM), up after announcing a series of pegmatite dyke “swarms” at Paynes Find Central and Paynes Find North in the Murchison region of WA with samples off to the lab for lithium analysis with drilling likely early next year.

Technology is improving monitoring of pregnancy with medtech company focusing on maternity care HeraMED (ASX:HMD) today announcing a trial for up to 90 pregnancies for six to nine months at Gold Coast Hospital to evaluate clinical usability, patient satisfaction, and economic analysis of the HeraCARE and HeraBEAT platforms.

For more market winning announcements head to today’s In Case You Missed It.

TODAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are the least performing ASX small cap stocks:
Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap BOD BOD Science Ltd 0.031 -45% 4,464,985 $9,930,956 HFY Hubify Ltd 0.015 -29% 180,810 $10,418,862 PUA Peak Minerals Ltd 0.003 -25% 22,000 $4,165,506 KGD Kula Gold Limited 0.012 -20% 970,095 $5,598,179 MXO Motio Ltd 0.028 -20% 271,328 $9,386,942 CHK Cohiba Min Ltd 0.002 -20% 1,000,000 $5,533,110 KPO Kalina Power Limited 0.004 -20% 3,260,726 $7,575,979 LSR Lodestar Minerals 0.004 -20% 14,099,682 $10,116,987 RIE Riedel Resources Ltd 0.004 -20% 61,701 $10,297,035 CR1 Constellation Res 0.105 -19% 40,022 $6,487,705 EPM Eclipse Metals 0.009 -18% 4,660,730 $22,481,847 ESK Etherstack PLC 0.25 -17% 15,378 $39,572,101 FRS Forrestania Resources 0.03 -17% 460,497 $3,682,858 CXU Cauldron Energy Ltd 0.01 -17% 6,914,811 $11,682,824 ECT Env Clean Tech 0.005 -17% 105,629 $17,085,331 TAS Tasman Resources Ltd 0.005 -17% 536 $4,276,016 PEC Perpetual Res Ltd 0.016 -16% 376,783 $11,754,650 AS2 Askari Metals 0.14 -15% 172,878 $12,672,035 CVB Curvebeam Ai Limited 0.3 -14% 80,029 $64,002,398 8IH 8I Holdings Ltd 0.012 -14% 43,500 $5,002,984 ADR Adherium Ltd 0.003 -14% 3,363,016 $17,497,929 LRL Labyrinth Resources 0.006 -14% 30,303 $8,312,806 MOH Moho Resources 0.006 -14% 416,452 $2,380,311 MTL Mantle Minerals Ltd 0.003 -14% 3,264,156 $21,516,060 PXX Polarx Limited 0.006 -14% 599,999 $10,917,317

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