Market Close: Materials win on critical minerals, hydrogen budget promises

The ASX200 closed up just over a third of a per cent (0.35%).

Materials was the strongest sector – thanks mostly to the Government budget promises around critical minerals and hydrogen – the industry adding 1.2 per cent on market today.

Renascor Resources (ASX:RNU) was the biggest winner – up 30 per cent without market news, while Chalice Mining (CHN), Vulcan Energy Resources (ASX:VUL) and Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) all gained between 7 and 10 per cent.  

Healthcare stocks also performed well, while energy and industrials dragged, each shedding just over half a per cent.  

In the Green

Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) gained more than 2.1% on news Toronto-listed farm-in partner First Quantum Minerals intercepted copper at Boss’s Honeymoon project in South Australia.

The maiden drilling compaign targeted ground below the project’s existing uranium finds.

The copper grades weren’t great, but as we all know, the commodity’s been running hot. As has uranium.  

BOE closed trade at $5.78.

Today’s ASX debutant silver explorer Sun Silver (ASX:SS1) more than doubled on day one of trade. In fact IPO investors made 112.5%.

The company raised $13 million through its IPO with 20 cent shares to progress its silver and gold project in Nevada. It’s being led by executive chair Gerard O’Donovan who was recently MD of Battery Age Minerals (ASX:BM8).

SS1 closed at 42.5 cents.

And, The Calmer Co International (ASX:CCO) closed up more than 33% on its April sales figures – seeing its sales in Coles reach $150,000 – within two months of hitting the supermarket’s shelves.

On top of that e-commerce sales are worth $11,000 a day to the kava drinks-specialist.

The Calmer Co. Trade closed at 0.8 of a cent.

In the red

Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) crashed 5.3% as a memorandum of understanding forged with Albemarle came to an end. The 9-month partnership was focussed on the Corvette hard-rock  lithium project in Quebec.

Patriot closed at 80 cents.

Software developer Iress (ASX:IRE) shed about 1.8% after confirming unauthorised access to its user space on third party repository platform ‘GitHub’. A stolen credential was used to access the company’s OneVue production environment and allowed clients’ data to be accessed.

Iress is investigating the extent and nature of data taken.

IRE closed at $8.29.

And, pathology and imaging play Healius (ASX:HLS) dropped nearly 6 per cent a day after announcing a refinancing facility for its debt. The market was likely reacting to Morgan Stanley brokers re-rating the stock to ‘sell’.

Over a year, the stock’s down about 56%.

Healius today closed at $1.26.