Closing Bell: ASX dips 0.15pc as traders bide their time

The ASX finished 0.15pc lower after a subdued day of trading. Investors are keeping to the sidelines as the Iran-Israel conflict evolves.

The ASX dipped just 0.15pc today as traders keep to the sidelines, waiting to see how the Iran-Israel conflict plays out. Pic: Getty Images.

• ASX finishes down just 0.15pc after choppy session

• Tech sector a bright spot, up 1.09pc

• All Ord Gold index weighs heavy, down 2.28pc

ASX nudges lower as investors stick to the sidelines

There’s a little too much geopolitical chaos brewing for most trader’s appetite at present, leading to a subdued day of trading that left the ASX down 0.15%.

It was looking like the bourse might tip into the green around midday, but it was not to be.

The materials sector, undercut by falling gold and iron ore stocks, fell 1.56%.

Source: Market Index

Pantoro Gold (ASX:PNR) shed 5%, Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) 4.9%, Fortescue (ASX:FMG) 3.8% and Perseus Mining (ASX:PRU) 3.6%.

Looking at our indices, only the All Tech made any real progress today, lifting 0.62% alongside the info tech sector’s 1.09% gain.

Source: Market Index

Standouts include archTIS (ASX:AR9) up 62%, Simble Solutions (ASX:SIS) adding 50% and Locate Technologies (ASX:LOC) up 14%. You can read more about the first two below.

ASX SMALL CAP LEADERS

Today’s best performing small cap stocks:

Security	Name	Last	% Change	Volume	Market Cap
AR9	Archtis Limited	0.22	63%	5982156	$38,875,565
LU7	Lithium Universe Ltd	0.0095	58%	41621735	$4,715,878
IFG	Infocusgroup Hldltd	0.009	50%	11413553	$1,655,771
SIS	Simble Solutions	0.0045	50%	8131041	$2,628,991
DGR	DGR Global Ltd	0.006	50%	1471000	$4,174,784
ECT	Env Clean Tech Ltd.	0.003	50%	30302356	$8,013,537
LNR	Lanthanein Resources	0.0015	50%	5851968	$2,810,182
MOM	Moab Minerals Ltd	0.0015	50%	600000	$1,733,666
EUR	European Lithium Ltd	0.064	45%	30114806	$63,587,984
NPM	Newpeak Metals	0.018	38%	3297314	$4,186,933
RPG	Raptis Group Limited	0.096	37%	88920	$12,273,970
ICG	Inca Minerals Ltd	0.009	29%	6858992	$11,034,730
SRL	Sunrise	0.835	28%	593941	$58,647,874
MEM	Memphasys Ltd	0.005	25%	100000	$7,934,392
SKK	Stakk Limited	0.005	25%	456000	$8,300,319
VRC	Volt Resources Ltd	0.005	25%	100000	$18,739,112
L1M	Lightning Minerals	0.065	23%	667410	$5,476,401
EXT	Excite Technology	0.011	22%	16885819	$18,653,777
BSA	BSA Limited	0.085	21%	256246	$5,271,018
AUR	Auris Minerals Ltd	0.006	20%	100000	$2,383,130
ICR	Intelicare Holdings	0.006	20%	180000	$2,430,941
ATM	Aneka Tambang	0.995	20%	2360	$1,082,029
LOC	Locatetechnologies	0.125	19%	2555462	$24,006,852
NUC	Nuchev Limited	0.225	18%	20000	$27,804,468
CR3	Core Energy Minerals	0.013	18%	357411	$4,343,319

Making news…

Simble Solutions (ASX:SIS) is raising $527k to grow its sustainability software business, locking in $500k from a placement.

It will use the funds for working capital and stash $200k in Bittensor (TAO), a decentralised AI crypto, to earn staking rewards and support its long-term strategy. Faldi Ismail steps in as non-exec chair, bringing 20+ years in deals, listings and capital markets.

archTIS (ASX:AR9) has cracked into the UK defence market, locking in a three-year contract worth $263k with the UK arm of a global aerospace giant.

The deal covers 400 NC Protect licences to help meet strict UK Ministry of Defence data security rules in Microsoft 365. This follows a recent win with the US Department of Defense.

European Lithium (ASX:EUR) says Critical Minerals Group (ASX:CMG), which it owns 63% of, has landed a non-binding US$120m Letter of Interest from the US EXIM Bank to help develop the Tanbreez rare earths project in Greenland.

The funding, if finalised, would be non-dilutive and run over 15 years. If it goes ahead, EUR said the package would support one of the world’s largest rare earth deposits and boost Western supply chains.

Check out Stockhead’s Break it Down for more.

NewPeak Metals (ASX:NPM) says Lakes Blue Energy, in which it holds a 16.3% stake, is raising $6.5 million at $0.75/share through a fully underwritten placement ahead of its planned ASX relisting around June 24.

The funds will help kick off drilling of the Wombat-5 well in the Gippsland Basin, targeting up to 10 terajoules a day from a 1.5km lateral. The Victorian government has given consent to drill, pending rehab bond payments, with spudding expected the week of July 21.

Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) has secured global rights to a new microwave-based tech from Macquarie University that makes recycling solar panels cleaner and more efficient.

It’s raising $1.7m to back the move, with solar waste set to hit 78 million tonnes by 2050, and most panels still ending up in landfill.

ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Today’s worst performing small cap stocks:

Security	Name	Last	% Change	Volume	Market Cap
ICU	Investor Centre Ltd	0.001	-67%	70753	$913,534
BGE	Bridgesaaslimited	0.012	-33%	374751	$3,597,466
AQX	Alice Queen Ltd	0.003	-25%	130586	$4,998,560
CTN	Catalina Resources	0.003	-25%	6593391	$9,704,076
HLX	Helix Resources	0.0015	-25%	600000	$6,728,387
SRN	Surefire Rescs NL	0.0015	-25%	912548	$4,972,891
AAU	Antilles Gold Ltd	0.004	-20%	83000	$11,656,840
FIN	FIN Resources Ltd	0.004	-20%	800001	$3,474,442
MEL	Metgasco Ltd	0.002	-20%	639149	$4,267,210
OMG	OMG Group Limited	0.004	-20%	2780701	$3,641,474
OVT	Ovanti Limited	0.002	-20%	141369	$7,513,788
PRM	Prominence Energy	0.004	-20%	6575087	$1,945,882
TMX	Terrain Minerals	0.002	-20%	2139672	$5,621,392
ICE	Icetana Limited	0.06	-19%	5845692	$39,355,118
GRL	Godolphin Resources	0.009	-18%	3760759	$4,937,606
JNO	Juno	0.027	-18%	16127	$6,904,823
CLG	Close Loop	0.025	-17%	9821323	$15,955,496
SCP	Scalare Partners	0.1	-17%	32004	$5,020,203
AZL	Arizona Lithium Ltd	0.005	-17%	12603369	$31,621,887
MAT	Matsa Resources	0.059	-16%	2799649	$51,334,350
HAR	Harangaresources	0.058	-15%	2370636	$7,758,747
RMY	RMA Global	0.029	-15%	40700	$22,587,276
WTM	Waratah Minerals Ltd	0.28	-15%	2492569	$76,475,267
HYD	Hydrix Limited	0.012	-14%	246158	$3,818,764
LEG	Legend Mining	0.006	-14%	2888749	$20,380,340

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Nordic Resources’ (ASX:NNL) data review indicates there’s more gold mineralisation than meets the eye at Hirsikangas as the company prepares for a JORC resource estimate.

An expanded three-rig campaign at Waratah Minerals’ (ASX:WTM) Spur project has confirmed extensions to known gold mineralisation at the Spur Gold Corridor.

Brookside Energy (ASX:BRK) has flagged two newly emerging sub-plays within its SWISH Area of Interest in Oklahoma’s Anadarko Basin.

Personalised audio tech provider Audeara (ASX:AUA) has delivered record revenue exceeding $3.64 million for the 11 months to end of May FY25.

iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) has identified gold and antimony in data from historical drilling and rock chips at Falchion prospect of its Reynolds Range project in the NT.

Firetail Resources (ASX:FTL) has defined an 800m strike trend of copper volcanogenic massive sulphide-style mineralisation at Earl’s Target within its Skyline copper project in Newfoundland, Canada.

Lumos Diagnostics (ASX:LDX) has treated its 500th patient in a CLIA waiver study for FebriDx, a move making it more accessible by clinicians.

TRADING HALTS

Adveritas (ASX:AV1) – cap raise
Cygnus Metals (ASX:CY5) – cap raise
Lode Resources (ASX:LDR) – correction of Webbs Consol announcement
Odyssey Gold (ASX:ODY) – cap raise
Riedel Resources (ASX:RIE) – cap raise

LAST ORDERS

EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) has accepted applications for a total of $20m under a heavily oversubscribed security purchase plan, raising a total of $75.9m after a recent $55.9m placement.

The funds will support a ramp up of commercial efforts for EBR’s novel WiSE system, the world’s only wireless, endocardial (inside the heart) pacing system in clinical use for stimulating the heart’s left ventricle.

At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While EBR Systems, Lithium Universe and European Lithium are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.

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

Originally published as Closing Bell: ASX dips 0.15pc as traders bide their time