Lunch Wrap: ASX rebounds; DigiCo REIT and Capstone Copper earn spots in ASX 200

ASX rises with energy stocks in the lead, while Trump rattles nerves. Meanwhile, DigiCo REIT and Capstone Copper make their way into the ASX 200.

ASX edges up with energy stocks leading the way. Picture via Getty Images

• ASX edges up with energy stocks leading the way

• Trump stirs nerves, Bitcoin drops

• DigiCo REIT joins ASX 200 as part of March index shake-up

The ASX lifted modestly by 0.2% on Monday morning, with bargain hunters jumping in after last week’s chaos.

While the energy sector led the charge, early trade was still pretty cautious.

Investors are bracing for another week of volatility, with the looming 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium (including those from Australia) set to hit the US  from Wednesday, although the Albanese government is still pushing for an exemption.

On Friday, Wall Street bounced back as the tech-heavy Nasdaq managed to claw back some losses after hitting correction territory, lifting by 0.7%.

But President Trump’s comments over the weekend about the economy and urging everyone to look the other way as the US stock market rapidly tanked haven’t exactly calmed nerves.

“Look, what I have to do is build a strong country. You can’t really watch the stock market,” Trump told Fox News.

“If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We have a quarter. We go by quarters. And you can’t go by that.”

Crypto traders were spooked, with Bitcoin falling fast toward the US$80k mark, trading now at US$81,200.

The drop also followed Trump’s new Bitcoin Reserve order, which tells the Treasury and Commerce departments to come up with plans to get more Bitcoin, but without using taxpayer money. Although that, in principle, sounds long-term bullish for Bitcoiners, it didn’t actually go down too well with investors.

“The knee-jerk reaction lower likely stems from the realisation that no actual budget has been allocated for Bitcoin purchases in the near term,” said QCP Capital in a note.

Back home, energy stocks led the morning's ASX session, with heavyweight Woodside Energy Group (ASX:WDS) gaining 2.3%.

Source: Market Index

Source: Market Index

In the large caps space, Star Entertainment Group (ASX:SGR) is in the hot seat once again as it mulls over a rescue offer from US casino giant Bally’s. Shares in Star remain suspended for now.

Bally's proposal suggests it could raise at least $250 million for The Star. This would involve The Star issuing special notes, which could later be converted into shares. If this happens, Bally’s would end up owning more than 50% of The Star’s shares.

In the ASX rebalance news, DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (ASX:DGT) will be making its debut in the S&P/ASX 200, just three months after its sharemarket debut. But DGT's shares were down 1.5%.

The data centre stock will join the main index on March 24, alongside other additions like Capstone Copper Corp (ASX:CSC) and Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW).

Capstone Copper, the Canadian copper miner, marks its entry to the ASX 200 just over a year after it began trading here.

As part of the shuffle, other names like Star Entertainment and coal miner Coronado Global Resources (ASX:CRN) will be pushed out.

ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for March 10 :

Code	Description	Last	%	Volume	MktCap
RML	Resolution Minerals	0.016	78%	19,948,113	$2,684,377
HT8	Harris Technology Gl	0.015	50%	2,615,669	$2,991,355
WOA	Wide Open Agricultur	0.015	36%	9,051,534	$5,870,553
88E	88 Energy Ltd	0.002	33%	4,002,309	$43,400,718
NMG	New Murchison Gold	0.013	32%	49,506,217	$77,295,797
AEV	Avenira Limited	0.009	29%	3,933,838	$22,243,508
CMG	Criticalmineralgrp	0.150	25%	6,299	$8,644,487
BMO	Bastion Minerals	0.005	25%	2,344,870	$3,378,899
MTB	Mount Burgess Mining	0.005	25%	1,200,000	$1,358,150
PAB	Patrys Limited	0.003	25%	618,016	$4,114,895
LMS	Litchfield Minerals	0.180	24%	685,956	$4,090,645
AMO	Ambertech Limited	0.170	21%	100,177	$13,356,670
EMH	European Metals Hldg	0.150	20%	286,669	$25,930,588
EPM	Eclipse Metals	0.006	20%	4,645,740	$14,299,095
LCY	Legacy Iron Ore	0.012	20%	1,496,448	$97,620,426
SER	Strategic Energy	0.006	20%	24,470	$3,355,167
STM	Sunstone Metals Ltd	0.006	20%	1,126,439	$25,750,018
VNL	Vinyl Group Ltd	0.115	20%	4,259,540	$120,868,218
RFA	Rare Foods Australia	0.019	19%	20,150	$4,351,732
ASQ	Australian Silica	0.026	18%	1,289	$6,200,928
OMA	Omegaoilgaslimited	0.450	17%	1,013,892	$126,772,221
AVE	Avecho Biotech Ltd	0.007	17%	26,625,597	$19,015,782
PVT	Pivotal Metals Ltd	0.007	17%	477,638	$5,443,355
SPQ	Superior Resources	0.007	17%	571,428	$13,019,183
TMK	TMK Energy Limited	0.004	17%	3,649,343	$28,090,995

Resolution Minerals (ASX:RML) has struck a deal to acquire three projects focused on antimony, gold and copper in New South Wales and Queensland. The projects include Drake East (NSW), Neardie (QLD), and Spur South (NSW), with Drake East showing high-grade antimony, gold, and silver. Neardie hosts past-producing antimony mines, and Spur South is in a highly mineralised area. The move aims to tap into the growing demand for antimony, which saw a 250% price increase in 2024, said the company.

Wide Open Agriculture (ASX:WOA) is making moves with over 5 metric tonnes of lupin protein sales across Europe, Latin America, and Australia. WOA has secured orders from a leading health food company in Europe, a Mexican distributor, Latin American distributors in Argentina and Chile, and an Aussie food manufacturer. These initial sales prove the global potential of WOA’s lupin protein, said the company.

New Murchison Gold (ASX:NMG) has hit visible gold in a diamond drill core at its Crown Prince gold project. Drilling targeted extensions of gold mineralisation, and at 252m down hole, a quartz-carbonate vein with native gold was found. This is the deepest gold find in the south-eastern zone and suggests the mineralisation might continue deeper. The drilling is ongoing, with assay results expected in a couple of weeks.

Cobre (ASX:CBE) has teamed up with BHP (ASX:BHP) to explore copper-silver deposits in Botswana, with BHP ready to fork out up to $40 million for exploration over the next few years. BHP can earn a 75% stake in Cobre’s Kitlanya East and West projects by funding the exploration. Cobre will keep operating and managing the projects during the earn-in phase, and if BHP helps find a JORC-compliant mineral resource, Cobre could get an extra US$10 million.

ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for March 10 :

Code	Name	Price	% Change	Volume	Market Cap
ANR	Anatara Ls Ltd	0.011	-72%	19,010,042	$8,321,965
GGE	Grand Gulf Energy	0.001	-50%	9,197	$4,900,774
AYT	Austin Metals Ltd	0.003	-33%	80,000	$5,958,861
CR9	Corellares	0.002	-33%	97,865	$1,403,230
JAY	Jayride Group	0.002	-33%	200,000	$715,737
BIT	Biotron Limited	0.003	-25%	1,091,609	$3,609,531
CYQ	Cycliq Group Ltd	0.003	-25%	4,305,421	$1,842,067
MEL	Metgasco Ltd	0.003	-25%	20,000	$5,830,347
NRZ	Neurizer Ltd	0.002	-25%	37,825,706	$6,716,008
TFL	Tasfoods Ltd	0.007	-22%	3,187,034	$3,933,860
HCT	Holista CollTech Ltd	0.024	-20%	295,834	$8,573,001
ASR	Asra Minerals Ltd	0.002	-20%	22,000	$5,932,817
AUK	Aumake Limited	0.004	-20%	86,461	$15,053,461
CAV	Carnavale Resources	0.004	-20%	160,001	$20,451,092
QXR	Qx Resources Limited	0.004	-20%	124,000	$6,550,389
CLA	Celsius Resource Ltd	0.009	-18%	3,216,829	$29,361,623
ALM	Alma Metals Ltd	0.005	-17%	156,121	$9,518,072
BCB	Bowen Coal Limited	0.005	-17%	275,849	$64,653,841
GES	Genesis Resources	0.010	-17%	326,706	$9,394,096
PKO	Peako Limited	0.003	-17%	145,581	$4,463,226
WBE	Whitebark Energy	0.005	-17%	6,001	$1,849,255
AVW	Avira Resources Ltd	0.006	-14%	120,874	$1,028,578
TON	Triton Min Ltd	0.006	-14%	418,841	$10,978,721
TRU	Truscreen	0.025	-14%	80,000	$16,025,142
KPO	Kalina Power Limited	0.007	-13%	102,559	$21,919,950

Anatara Lifesciences (ASX:ANR)' stock price plunged after disappointing news about its GaRP-IBS trial. The trial's Stage 2 results are in, and it looks like the primary goal – reducing IBS symptoms significantly compared to a placebo – won’t be met, even though secondary goals might still show improvement. As a result, the company has paused recruitment and is waiting for the final results, expected soon.

Boss Energy's (ASX:BOE) shares dropped despite securing a deal with Eclipse Metals for the Liverpool Uranium Project in the Northern Territory. Boss has an option to earn up to 80% of the project by spending $250,000 on exploration in the next 12 months, with a total commitment of $8 million over the next seven years.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

Originally published as Lunch Wrap: ASX rebounds; DigiCo REIT and Capstone Copper earn spots in ASX 200