Rise and Shine: Everything you need to know before the ASX opens

Good morning, and Happy Friday! Here’s everything you need to know before the ASX opens today.

For chickens, "the crack of dawn" takes on a far more serious meaning. Pic via Getty Images

Good morning everyone, and welcome to 28 June, 2024 – an important day in the history of tomatoes, as it was on this day in 1820 that a brave – some might even say, slightly foolhardy – soul challenged the status quo and undertook a dangerous stunt, just to prove a stupid point.

You see, it's a widely accepted fact that, back in the early 1800s, people were idiots. The evidence we have to back that claim up is simple – we need look no further than the actions of Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson on the steps of a courthouse in Salem, New Jersey.

The colonel was something of an outlier of his time among the chowderheads and nincompoops, and – as a keen horticulturist – had come to appreciate the amazing versatility of the humble tomato.

Sadly, however, his point of view wasn’t shared by the famous salad-dodgers of the era, who had somehow come to the widely believed conclusion that tomatoes were actually poisonous.

The colonel decided to put his money where his mouth is, publicly announcing that he would be standing on the steps of the courthouse on 28 June, whereupon he would eat an entire tomato, to prove the morons wrong.

Which he did – downing the tomato and then stubbornly refusing to die, much to the dismay of several tomato-averse members of the crowd, who accused the colonel of being “in bed with Big Tomato” and other right wing nonsense.

Deeply moved by the colonel’s commitment to his belief that tomatoes weren’t the deadly killers many thought them to be, the seedy Fregetable became an overnight sensation among the elite of the Pacific Northwest.

It would go on to star in such foodstuffs as hamburgers, tomato sauce and, of course, gazpacho - which is basically tomato soup but served icy cold to people who are possibly maniacs and enjoy that sort of thing.

Luckily for you, you won’t need to eat a random piece of potentially deadly food in order to get the information you need before the market opens today.

The mighty Bevis Yeo, the oracle of all things gassy on the ASX, has done a market round up to find the best and gassiest tale he could pen, and – as always – I’ve thrown together lots of fiddly little things below, so you don’t need to go ferreting all over the internet for your ASX info this morning.

COMMODITY/FOREX/CRYPTO MARKET PRICES

Gold: US$2,298.22(+0.03%)

Silver: US$28.72 (-0.17%)

Nickel (3mth): US$16,901/t (+0.29%)

Copper (3mth): US$9,399/t (-0.97%)

Zinc: US$2,860/t (+1.89%)

Oil (WTI): US$80.69 (-0.26%)

Oil (Brent): US$85.05 (-0.23%)

Iron 62pc Fe: US$106.56/t (+0.09%)

AUD/USD: 0.6665 (+0.32%)

Bitcoin: US$60,748.00 (-0.11%)

WHAT GOT YOU TALKING

Can the Aussie steel market get greener? The Big Australian reckons it can… and here’s what that lumbering beast of a company had to say about it.

BHP says studies are ongoing to cut #emissions from #steel made in blast furnaces and use previously unsuited #Pilbara material in greener #DRI. https://t.co/eo5OauovWV

— Stockhead (@StockheadAU) June 26, 2024

YESTERDAY’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	Name	Price	% Change	Volume	Market Cap
AVE	Avecho Biotech Ltd	0.003	50%	5,179,361	$6,338,594
AN1	Anagenics Limited	0.010	43%	712,831	$3,229,243
IBG	Ironbark Zinc Ltd	0.004	33%	9,223,750	$4,781,618
MHC	Manhattan Corp Ltd	0.002	33%	224,500	$4,405,470
RBR	RBR Group Ltd	0.002	33%	2,745,022	$1,634,405
TMX	Terrain Minerals	0.004	33%	448,000	$4,295,012
OCN	Oceanalithiumlimited	0.039	26%	435,925	$1,676,372
IR1	Irismetals	0.320	25%	792,929	$34,051,420
SPX	Spenda Limited	0.008	25%	11,854,126	$25,946,747
88E	88 Energy Ltd	0.003	25%	9,588,281	$57,785,344
AYT	Austin Metals Ltd	0.005	25%	803,710	$5,296,765
HXL	Hexima	0.010	25%	750,184	$1,336,317
HTG	Harvest Tech Grp Ltd	0.021	24%	1,360,693	$13,801,583
BVR	Bellavistaresources	0.210	24%	838,825	$13,339,747
DGR	DGR Global Ltd	0.011	22%	607,035	$9,393,241
IG6	Internationalgraphit	0.088	22%	690,133	$13,936,200
1AG	Alterra Limited	0.006	20%	1,215,610	$4,310,732
VFX	Visionflex Group Ltd	0.006	20%	227,080	$7,084,956
AR3	Austrare	0.085	20%	649,627	$11,070,454
BBN	Baby Bunting Grp Ltd	1.465	19%	2,083,316	$166,609,514
XRG	Xreality Group Ltd	0.053	18%	254,580	$24,846,270
LIO	Lion Energy Limited	0.020	18%	1,281,163	$7,428,622
FOS	FOS Capital Ltd	0.235	18%	12,987	$10,761,228
ACW	Actinogen Medical	0.048	17%	16,727,836	$110,005,022

Yesterday’s Small Cap Winners included:

Resources and exploration company Iris Metals (ASX:IR1) , with projects located in South Dakota and Western Australia has lifted on Thursday after dropping it’s FY24 annual report.

Since the start of the new financial year in April 2023, IRIS Metals Limited has progressed its exploration and related activities but says it has some irons in the fire for the year ahead.

Baby Bunting (ASX:BBN) jumped 24% this morning after delivering a trading update to investors, which included news that total sales from 1 May 2024 to 24 June 2024 were up a modest 1.0% on pcp, and that the company’s existing $70 million NAB facility has been renewed for a further 3 years at existing pricing.

Harvest Technology Group (ASX:HTG) says it has deployed n additional 30 NSI (Nodestrea Integrated device) units to its defence partner, Guerrilla Technologies.

“Continuing orders from Guerrilla highlight the growing collaboration and trust between our companies. The new units will further bolster Guerrilla Technologies’ network and semi-autonomous field assets, enhancing their capability to manage sensitive operations in remote and challenging environments with unparalleled secure communications,” HTG informed the ASX.

Bellavista Resources (ASX:BVR) was up early on news that the company has firm commitments for an unbrokered $1.2 million cap raise to new and existing shareholders and institutional investors, at $0.15 per share – a handy 12% discount to the company’s recent close at $0.17 a pop.

Bastion Minerals (ASX:BMO) released happy news that it has found more high-grade rare earths at its Gyttorp project in Sweden. Assays confirmed TREE+Y up to 8.3% from actinolite skarn, in line with previously announced xPRF results from the site.

And Sheffield Resources (ASX:SFX) announced results from a ramp up of production and shipments from the Kimberley Mineral Sands owned Thunderbird Mineral Sands Mine in Western Australia, which saw production of approximately 825,000 ore tonnes in June 2024, and concentrate production of approximately 55,000 tonnes ilmenite concentrate and 13,000 tonnes zircon concentrate over the same period.

YESTERDAY’S ASX SMALL CAP LAGGARDS

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Code	Name	Price	% Change	Volume	Market Cap
CNJ	Conico Ltd	0.001	-50%	90	3610290.912
CAQ	CAQ Holdings Ltd	0.026	-47%	767,763	35171527.77
MAY	Melbana Energy Ltd	0.035	-43%	86,448,823	205582450.3
BFC	Beston Global Ltd	0.002	-33%	5,151,902	5991140.676
MTL	Mantle Minerals Ltd	0.002	-33%	500,000	18592337.5
RIL	Redivium Limited	0.002	-33%	1,249,412	8192564.427
MMM	Marley Spoon Se	0.014	-30%	430,083	2354488.06
GES	Genesis Resources	0.005	-29%	35,000	5479889.058
EQS	Equitystorygroupltd	0.019	-27%	701,348	2833830.064
BP8	Bph Global Ltd	0.003	-25%	2,280	1586565.916
EDE	Eden Inv Ltd	0.002	-25%	467,981	7356542.23
ENT	Enterprise Metals	0.003	-25%	2,870,703	3538883.728
ME1	Melodiol Glb Health	0.003	-25%	11,982,839	707267.152
MTB	Mount Burgess Mining	0.002	-25%	156,666	2596293.572
OAR	OAR Resources Ltd	0.002	-25%	2,541,845	6444199.76
ODE	Odessa Minerals Ltd	0.003	-25%	3,510,000	4173130.144
TMK	TMK Energy Limited	0.003	-25%	1,022,382	27646447.89
VPR	Voltgroupltd	0.002	-25%	2,006,732	21432416.42
ICR	Intelicare Holdings	0.015	-25%	1,848,010	4696489.96
IMM	Immutep Ltd	0.340	-22%	43,618,504	631886346.2
OAK	Oakridge	0.070	-21%	3,000	2402813.812
PNT	Panthermetalsltd	0.023	-21%	27,313	2527818.698
NSM	Northstaw	0.012	-20%	1,038	2098136.76

TRADING HALTS

Axiom Properties (ASX:AXI) –  pending an announcement by Axiom in relation to a proposed business acquisition.

Qualitas Real Estate Income Fund (ASX:QRI) – halt requested in relation to a proposed capital raising by QRI.

Saturn Metals (ASX:STN) – pending the release of an announcement regarding a capital raising.

Triton Minerals (ASX:TON) – pending the release of an announcement in relation to a material transaction concerning the divestiture of part interest in an asset.

Venture Minerals (ASX:VMS) – pending an announcement with regards to a proposed capital raising.

Infini Resources (ASX:I88) – ending an announcement regarding material exploration results at its Portland Creek Uranium Project.

Originally published as Rise and Shine: Everything you need to know before the ASX opens