S&P\/ASX 200 rose 0.8% in February with Large Cap S&P\/ASX 50 underperforming Midcap and Small Ordinaries
\nTech sector was the big winner up 19% in February as energy and materials sector slumped\u00a0
\nNyrada soars after preclinical study shows promise of drug candidate NYR-BI03 in preventing secondary brain injury<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s S&P\/ASX 200 inched up 0.8% in February to close at 7968.7 points as January inflation fell to its lowest level since November 2021.<\/p>\n
Large-cap S&P\/ASX 50 underperformed Midcap 50 and Small Ordinaries, while the S&P\/ASX 20 ended the month in negative territory, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show Australia\u2019s monthly consumer price index (CPI) rose at an annual pace of 3.4% in January, which was unchanged from December and under market forecasts of 3.6%.<\/p>\n Trimmed mean inflation \u2013 the preferred measurement of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) because it strips out more extreme price movements \u2013\u00a0 rose an annual 3.8%, which was down from 4% in December.<\/p>\n While still above the RBA\u2019s 2-3% inflation target, economists believe the latest CPI figures should be broadly reassuring to the central bank and reduce the risk of another rate rise in coming months.<\/p>\n In some further good news out of the US the\u00a0PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) Index, came in in-line with expectations.<\/p>\n The PCE, which is the Federals Reserve\u2019s favourite inflation measure, rose by 0.3% in January, while the core PCE price index gained 0.4%.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n S&P DJI says the S&P\/ASX 200 witnessed a large dispersion among sectors in February with Technology, with a relatively smaller index weight the winner up 19%.<\/p>\n Energy was the worst performer despite the strength in oil prices, dropping 6%, while Materials fell another 5% and is down almost 10% YTD.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s resources sector has felt the pinch of falling commodity prices.\u00a0 A slower than projected uptake of EVs has caused a supply glut for battery metals including lithium and nickel.<\/p>\n A deluge of cheap supply of \u201cpig iron\u201d nickel from Indonesia, the world\u2019s largest producer, has further hurt Aussies nickel producers.<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0 prices for Australia\u2019s most precious commodity iron ore slumped by 11.3%, reaching a four-month low of US$116.5\/tonne, according to prices on the Singapore futures exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n The falls in iron ore come as pessimism grows about China\u2019s steel production outlook.<\/p>\n Chinese steel sector production\u00a0 fell 6.9% to 77.2Mt in January. S&P Global Market Intelligence<\/a> expects China\u2019s full-year steel production to fall 0.7% in 2023 due to the slumping property market.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The S&P\/ASX 200 Momentum was the best-performing factor in February with a 5% gain. Enhanced value and high dividend factors both closed in the red in February, falling 2.76% and 0.93% respectively.<\/p>\n S&P DJI says equity volatility remained largely suppressed with S&P\/ASX 200 VIX hovering at an 11 handle.<\/p>\n Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Fixed income had a mixed during February, as the RBA held the cash rate steady at 4.35%. Inflation-linked government bonds remained among the worst performers YTD.<\/p>\n Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.<\/em><\/p>\n CODE COMPANY LAST SHARE PRICE JANUARY RETURN % MARKET CAP NYR Nyrada Inc. 0.097 322% $15,132,844 BRN Brainchip Ltd 0.385 148% $695,238,654 APM APM Human Services 1.64 125% $1,504,178,391 ENV Enova Mining Limited 0.046 119% $29,482,750 PAA PharmAust Limited 0.35 119% $135,940,618 VMS Venture Minerals 0.017 113% $37,683,555 W2V Way2Vat Limited 0.019 111% $12,380,560 IRX Inhalerx Limited 0.041 105% $7,780,445 GHY Gold Hydrogen 1.56 103% $119,594,316 AUA Audeara 0.056 100% $8,098,033 BP8 BPH Global Ltd 0.002 100% $3,908,232 FTC Fintech Chain Ltd 0.02 100% $13,015,392 VPR Volt Power Group 0.002 100% $21,432,416 BRX Belararox 0.335 97% $23,766,247 ARR American Rare Earths 0.255 96% $125,822,941 EOS Electro Optic Systems 1.825 86% $312,505,711 WC8 Wildcat Resources 0.735 86% $878,941,020 BRE Brazilian Rare Earth 2.9 75% $176,808,232 WHK Whitehawk Limited 0.031 72% $10,480,192 APX Appen Limited 0.565 71% $123,871,657 CTN Catalina Resources 0.005 67% $6,192,434 PNX PNX Metals Limited 0.005 67% $26,903,124 SHG Singular Health 0.14 67% $27,349,428 BOC Bougainville Copper 0.595 65% $238,632,188 DRO Droneshield Limited 0.69 62% $422,385,992 VBC Verbrec Limited 0.115 62% $33,169,190 CCR Credit Clear 0.29 61% $121,033,201 AUZ Australian Mines Ltd 0.016 60% $18,080,631 RDM Red Metal Limited 0.155 60% $46,367,986 AYA Artrya Limited 0.365 59% $28,706,882 DEL Delorean Corporation 0.055 57% $11,864,650 DUB Dubber Corp Ltd 0.22 57% $86,077,262 BIO Biome Australia Ltd 0.39 56% $82,684,152 GTE Great Western Exploration 0.042 56% $14,616,446 PER Percheron 0.087 55% $78,434,412 BVS Bravura Solution Ltd 1.24 55% $555,958,962 4DS 4DS Memory Limited 0.105 54% $185,097,666 HIQ Hitiq Limited 0.026 53% $9,147,969 ADS Adslot Ltd 0.003 50% $9,673,487 ASP Aspermont Limited 0.009 50% $22,100,712 C7A Clara Resources 0.018 50% $3,402,703 INP Incentiapay Ltd 0.006 50% $7,463,580 RBR RBR Group Ltd 0.003 50% $4,855,214 TD1 Tali Digital Limited 0.0015 50% $4,942,733 88E 88 Energy Ltd 0.006 50% $150,744,375 MMI Metro Mining Ltd 0.03 50% $136,691,881 CUE CUE Energy Resource 0.1 49% $69,811,972 SLC Superloop Limited 1.035 49% $508,365,649 WR1 Winsome Resources 0.855 49% $163,121,219 STP Step One Limited 1.7 48% $315,078,495 <\/p>\n WordPress Table Plugin<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Drug discovery and development company Nyrada (ASX:NYR) <\/strong><\/a>finished February more well known after seeing its share price jump 322%.<\/p>\n Most of rise came on February 28, the day NYR released positive results from its preclinical study evaluating the efficacy of its brain injury program drug candidate NYR-BI03 in preventing secondary brain injury.<\/p>\n CEO James Bonnar told Stockhead\u2019s <\/em>Christian Edwards<\/a> the study\u00a0 results were powerful for three reasons.<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly, the drug candidate is a first-in-class molecule which means it offers a new therapeutic approach to treating brain injury,\u201d Bonnar says.<\/p>\n \u201cSecondly, the pathology behind brain injury is common across both stroke and traumatic brain injuries, such as those caused by a car accident, sports injury or military wound.\u201d<\/p>\n He says this means NYR\u2019s drug candidate has potential for treating patients in two important markets \u2013 stroke and traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n \u201cLastly, the target our drug candidate hits is novel, making Nyrada pioneers in an area that no other biotech is currently working in, to our knowledge,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Also on the winners list in February was neuromorphic microchips developer Brainchip (ASX:BRN)<\/a><\/strong> as the AI frenzy which gripped markets in 2023 continued into the new year.<\/p>\n The rise came despite BRN plummeting 35% on February 27 after releasing another full year loss \u2013 this time US$28.9 million \u2013\u00a0its sixth straight year\u00a0of red ink after reporting annual losses since 2018.<\/p>\n READ: Brainchip\u2019s potential in Edge AI is undeniable, but can sales catch up with its cash burn?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Biotech PharmAust (ASX:PAA)<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>rose 119% after a series of positive announcements throughout February including that its lead drug monepantel may be the key to delivering significant improvements in life expectancy for sufferers of MND\/ALS with preliminary Phase 1 data showing a 58% reduction in disease progression.<\/a><\/p>\n MND\/ALS (motor neurone disease\/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is an invariably fatal nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function \u2013 affecting more than 350,000 people globally.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort.<\/em><\/p>\n CODE COMPANY LAST SHARE PRICE DECEMBER RETURN % MARKET CAP KNB Koonenberry Gold 0.015 -75% $1,796,236 TTA TTA Holdings Ltd 0.003 -73% $412,270 CMD Cassius Mining Ltd 0.01 -70% $5,420,045 ME1 Melodiol Global Health 0.007 -68% $2,750,973 T3D 333D Limited 0.007 -63% $836,115 NRZ Neurizer Ltd 0.004 -60% $5,855,643 ABE Australian Bond Exchange 0.021 -59% $2,366,030 HCL Highcom Ltd 0.145 -59% $14,888,987 EE1 Earths Energy Ltd 0.018 -56% $9,539,356 SSR SSR Mining Inc. 6.41 -56% $35,643,375 ICL Iceni Gold 0.019 -54% $4,684,660 BNL Blue Star Helium Ltd 0.011 -54% $21,364,918 MSG MCS Services Limited 0.008 -53% $1,584,797 WIN Widgie Nickel 0.04 -53% $11,917,802 MEG Megado Minerals Ltd 0.011 -52% $2,799,011 STX Strike Energy Ltd 0.215 -51% $615,378,560 AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.001 -50% $2,133,790 CNJ Conico Ltd 0.002 -50% $3,140,190 DCX Discovex Res Ltd 0.001 -50% $3,302,568 NET Netlinkz Limited 0.003 -50% $11,635,345 RIL Redivium Limited 0.003 -50% $8,192,564 YAR Yari Minerals Ltd 0.005 -50% $2,411,789 SLB Stelar Metals 0.076 -49% $3,983,002 AUG Augustus Minerals 0.041 -49% $3,500,170 NYM Narryer Metals 0.027 -48% $1,295,827 JAY Jayride Group 0.013 -48% $3,072,019 PVW PVW Res Ltd 0.03 -47% $3,042,143 ECG Ecargo Holdings 0.025 -47% $15,381,250 KOR Korab Resources 0.008 -47% $2,936,400 SOC Soco Corporation 0.115 -47% $15,898,780 NXD Nexted Group Limited 0.375 -46% $83,068,790 IND Industrial Minerals 0.21 -46% $14,439,600 BPH BPH Energy Ltd 0.022 -45% $24,146,060 IBX Imagion Biosys Ltd 0.091 -45% $2,970,836 VIT Vitura Health Ltd 0.14 -44% $80,622,330 HHR Hartshead Resources 0.012 -43% $33,704,186 VAR Variscan Mines Ltd 0.008 -43% $3,032,003 M24 Mamba Exploration 0.032 -42% $5,890,633 ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.085 -41% $29,952,375 NME Nex Metals Explorations 0.013 -41% $4,582,923 DAF Discovery Alaska Ltd 0.016 -41% $3,747,755 OD6 OD6 Metals 0.089 -41% $4,896,379 APL Associate Global 0.095 -41% $5,366,780 A8G Australasian Metals 0.075 -40% $3,909,037 BUR Burley Minerals 0.06 -40% $6,197,805 PAT Patriot Lithium 0.078 -40% $5,430,136 ARC ARC Funds Limited 0.115 -39% $3,458,780 CYM Cyprium Metals Ltd 0.014 -39% $21,345,973 RBX Resource B 0.046 -39% $3,803,486 CVB Curvebeam AI Limited 0.2 -38% $43,715,878 <\/p>\n WordPress Table Plugin<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Resources companies found themselves heavily featured among the 50 worst performing stocks for February on the back of falling commodity prices.<\/p>\n The ongoing dispute between Cassius Mining (ASX:CMD)<\/strong><\/a> and the Government of the Republic of Ghana took a toll on its share price in February.<\/p>\n The company provided an update to the market<\/a> saying a three-person tribunal rejected Ghana\u2019s request to halt arbitration and it signals its intention to proceed with the proceedings. CMD has filed a claim for US$275 million, citing Ghana\u2019s alleged breaches of contract and statute as the basis.<\/p>\n At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. Although PharmAust is a Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The post ASX February winners: The best 50 stocks as a \u2018super-heroic small cap\u2019 soars 322%<\/a> appeared first on Stockhead<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tech sector leads winner as materials and energy slump<\/h2>\n
Momentum best performing factor in February<\/h2>\n
Fixed income mixed performace<\/h2>\n
Here are the 50 best performing ASX stocks for February:<\/h2>\n
Here are the 50 worst performing ASX stocks for February:<\/h2>\n