Closing Bell: A little victory for local markets as ASX gains and China has a weekend to get serious about winning

Benchmark ASX index ends +0.21%, but down -2.2% this week
Consumer stocks offset Tech losses
Small caps led by Webcentral

The benchmark has ended another tortuous week of trade with a little Friday victory. Down -2.2% for the week, all victories at this stage are welcome.

The S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) index will start Monday morning at 6,826.9 after finishing 14.6 points or +0.21% led largely by lithium, materials and consumer staple stocks. The All Ords (XAO) index rose +0.19%.

Consumer stocks led, IT Sector names did not.

They sucked today. This will make that a little clearer:

Via MarketIndex

Coles in particular gave it a shake, gaining 2.1% after Morgans gave the supermarket a ratings upgrade from Hold to Add.

Harvey Norman also did pretty well among the bigger boppers, finding an intraday high of almost 3% thanks to its $442m share buyback program.

ASX SECTORS ON FRIDAY

Via marketIndex

RANDOM SMALL CAP WRAP

The Brazilian-focused lithium explorer Solis Minerals (ASX:SLM) is up almost 10% after lobbing an update on the start of a second drill rig doing its thing at the Estrela Prospect in Brazil.

The HIGHLIGHTS in BULLIES:

A second large capacity rig is now on site and has commenced drilling on outcropping lithium pegmatite targets at Estrela
Multiple outcropping pegmatites have been identified at Estrela and are scheduled for testing as part of this initial program of 3,600m
A regional scale geochemical programme on northern Borborema tenements being mobilised
Solis continues to negotiate additional acquisitions in the Borborema Province

Solis’ Executive Director, Matthew Boyes:

“Solis is exploring the lithium potential within the Borborema Province, with primary targets at Estrela and Mina Vermelha. Both prospects are located ~15km from the town of Parelhas, where the Company has established a base to facilitate operational management and engage with local communities.”

The co says the second large capacity drill rig has now commenced drilling at the Estrela prospect which will accelerate the programme.

US FUTURES AT 1300 IN NEW YORK

Via Fox

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

US strikes inside Syria

Reports are emerging of the first strikes by US forces in the Middle East since the Oct 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas fighters.

According to the US Dept. of Defence the military strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria were used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and sent in retaliation for recent attacks on US forces. That’s an escalation.

The States have moved a lot of assets – troops, warships, missiles, artillery, warplanes and more – into the region in the hopes of exacting a high cost from Iran and its proxies, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, should they seek to widen the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Chinese stocks

On the mainland stocks are ahead for a fourth straight session with the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component both higher on Friday.

The benchmark indexes are also looking flush to finish the week higher, as sentiment took a promising turn this week in the wake of fresh stimulus measures from Beijing, which look decent enough to lend a hand to China’s sluggish economy and markets.

Earlier this week, the government of President Xi announced that it would throw caution to the wind on its budget deficit and pledged to issue 1 trillion yuan in extra bonds.

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 WCG Webcentral Ltd 0.305 177% 34,029,854 $36,203,885 IND Industrial Minerals 1.005 123% 5,770,692 $28,971,000 NZS New Zealand Coastal 0.003 50% 9,752,952 $3,334,020 TOR Torque Met 0.22 42% 2,739,165 $18,704,626 AYT Austin Metals Ltd 0.007 40% 62,882 $5,079,373 IVX Invion Ltd 0.007 40% 3,887,216 $32,108,161 BNR Bulletin Res Ltd 0.17 36% 4,303,400 $36,698,888 HRE Heavy Rare Earths 0.095 36% 209,881 $4,234,155 AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.002 33% 248,516 $3,200,685 MSI Multistack International 0.004 33% 86,000 $408,912 MTL Mantle Minerals Ltd 0.004 33% 41,523,795 $18,442,338 SIS Simble Solutions 0.004 33% 800,109 $1,808,852 PEC Perpetual Res Ltd 0.021 31% 1,054,797 $9,898,653 ZGL Zicom Group Limited 0.06 30% 200,000 $9,869,760 AMM Armada Metals 0.026 30% 37,021 $2,571,361 LBT LBT Innovations 0.005 25% 1,750,400 $1,423,601 OAR OAR Resources Ltd 0.005 25% 1,328,648 $10,452,543 SFG Seafarms Group Ltd 0.005 25% 500,427 $19,346,397 TMX Terrain Minerals 0.005 25% 320,000 $5,030,575 YPB YPB Group Ltd 0.0025 25% 125,000 $1,486,923 MTC Metalstech Ltd 0.18 24% 7,560 $27,347,666 1CG One Click Group Ltd 0.016 23% 23,986,148 $7,996,277 CAI Calidus Resources 0.195 22% 5,427,225 $97,260,778 TPC TPC Consolidated Ltd 7.6 22% 19,331 $70,892,856 ERW Errawarra Resources 0.175 21% 2,572,553 $10,078,080

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Webcentral Group (ASX:WCG) entered into binding agreements with an investment group based in Europe consisting of Oakley Capital and its partners to sell two-thirds of its domain name registry, consumer hosting and email hosting services business for circa $165m.

Webcentral’s MD Joe Demase:

“In partnership with Tom and Jochen, the Oakley team is uniquely positioned to support the next stage of Webcentral’s growth, enabling us to expand our capabilities, further improve our services to clients, and pursue new growth opportunities internationally.”

WCG’s big deal bullies:

• Total Transaction Value of $165M
• Net cash proceeds of $115M
• Net cash position of $84M after debt repayment and transaction costs
• Retained one-third equity interest in Domains Business
• Agreement to buy $12M of cloud services and managed support services from Webcentral over 5 years, with a minimum of $4M in the first year
• Completion expected by late-November 2023

Industrial Minerals (ASX:IND) has agreed to ‘binding terms’ with North West Quarries for the exclusive option to acquire an 80% interest in the non-construction material mineral rights – which also include lithium and HPQ – at the Pippinagarra Quarry Project near badly misspelled Port Hedland.

“The project is located within world class Pilbara lithium province of Western Australia and near some of the world’s largest hard rock lithium mines. IND hold a number of tenements in the region that are prospective for HPQ and lithium, making the addition of this Project a logical expansion of IND’s activities in the Pilbara region,” the company told the ASX this morning.

IND has also recently applied for further tenure ‘proximal’ to the Pippingarra Project.

Bougainville Copper (ASX:BOC) has this afternoon confirmed a breakthrough has been made with the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) with respect to ending court proceedings relating to the Company’s EL01 exploration licence in the Panguna project area.

It’s good progress – the stock has jumped 40%.

Back in January 2018, the ABG refused an extension EL01 with BCL granted leave for a Judicial Review of the decision in the PNG National Court.

Aside from those proceedings BCL also reports:

“That through this dialogue, BCL and the ABG have agreed on terms for a Deed of Settlement to end the Judicial Review proceedings with parties fulfilling their if respective undertakings.”

ABG President Ishmael Toroama is now reportedly reconsidering BCL’s EL01 application “with a view to extending the exploration licence for a period of five years.

“On delivery of respective undertakings, including the extension of ELO1, BCL has agreed to withdraw the Judicial Review proceedings. The PNG National Court is expected to consider an application to stay the Judicial Review on 13 November 2023.”

REE and gold explorer Terrain Minerals (ASX:TMX) is also ahead after announcing it had raised more than $430k in a non-renounceable entitlement offer. The company says 15.85% of shareholders (187) participated in the offer with a recorded unallocated shortfall of ~$355k.

TMX in September raised ~$785k through a placement to sophisticated and professional investors.

TODAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

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 0.001 -50% 3,979,292 $20,529,010 MXC MGC Pharmaceuticals 0.001 -50% 2,180,264 $8,855,936 CC9 Chariot Corporation 0.255 -43% 4,097,408 $32,999,206 HCT Holista CollTech Ltd 0.009 -31% 514,492 $3,624,401 AHN Athena Resources 0.003 -25% 2,517,894 $4,281,870 CCE Carnegie Cln Energy 0.0015 -25% 467,729 $31,285,147 DXN DXN Limited 0.0015 -25% 141,752 $3,446,680 PNX PNX Metals Limited 0.003 -25% 650,000 $21,522,499 LPD Lepidico Ltd 0.008 -20% 31,249,601 $76,383,079 RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.004 -20% 1,190,663 $3,083,418 SMS Star Minerals 0.035 -19% 106,044 $1,558,870 AUE Aurum Resources 0.11 -19% 449,333 $4,240,227 CBY Canterbury Resources 0.022 -19% 135,000 $3,902,135 CRS Caprice Resources 0.031 -18% 171,781 $4,436,763 KP2 Kore Potash PLC 0.009 -18% 106,571 $7,345,837 BOD BOD Science Ltd 0.05 -17% 340,000 $10,640,310 ADV Ardiden Ltd 0.005 -17% 4,572,479 $16,130,012 EPM Eclipse Metals 0.01 -17% 2,774,644 $24,336,718 FFG Fatfish Group 0.01 -17% 1,761,412 $14,282,876 TAS Tasman Resources Ltd 0.005 -17% 45,145 $4,276,016 AKN Auking Mining Ltd 0.037 -16% 370,000 $8,980,563 ESR Estrella Res Ltd 0.006 -14% 38,337,988 $10,385,003 EXL Elixinol Wellness 0.006 -14% 2,323,377 $4,419,407 HTG Harvest Tech Grp Ltd 0.024 -14% 1,107,375 $19,780,973 M24 Mamba Exploration 0.03 -14% 312,785 $2,134,417

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TRADING HALTS

Strandline Resources (ASX:STA) – Pending an announcement by the company in relation to an operating strategy update at the Coburn Project.

Dorsavi (ASX:DVL) – Capital raising.

Emperor Energy (ASX:EMP) – Capital raising.

Nova Eye Medical (ASX:EYE) – Pending an announcement by the Board related to a proposed change to national USA Medicare reimbursement for Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgical (MIGS) products.

Associate Global Partners (ASX:APL) – Pending an announcement by the company in connection with an equity raising to be undertaken by way of an entitlement offer.

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