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The ASX200 closed around a quarter of a per cent up with Consumer discretionary topping the gains, finishing nearly half a per cent up and Utilities and Industrials both losing around half a per cent.
In the green
Mineral explorer IGO (ASX:IGO) gained more than 7 per cent on its quarterly update.
IGO’s underlying EBITDA was down 110% quarter on quarter as group nickel production and spodumene concentrate production both dropped.
Management said the March quarter results reflected a subdued market period for nickel and lithium with lower sales volumes. Despite the lower-than-expected results, IGO’s balance sheet remains strong with $276 million cash on hand and no debt.
IGO closed at $7.91.
New Zealand-based travel management company Serko (ASX:SKO) was a standout. It shot up 17% on news of its renewed partnership with Booking.com, signing a five-year contract.
Serko’s CEO and co-founder Darrin Grafton said the renewal decision would provide a ‘strong foundation for future global growth and scale’.
SKO closed at $3.36..
Regenerative medicine company Orthocell (ASX:OCC) gained 1.32% after publishing a study that showed its Remplir medical device returned an 85% success rate in nerve repairs, 24 months post-treatment.
Orthocell’s Remplir is an effective medical device for connecting severed nerves, protecting damaged nerves, or capping amputated nerves.
OCC closed at 38 cents..
In the red
Copper and gold explorer Aeris Resources (ASZ:AIS) shed nearly 14% on its quarterly update.
The company saw a 6.2 per cent drop in copper equivalent production to 9.1 kilo tonnes. The reasons cited were labour and equipment availability.
AIE closed at 25 cents.
Worley (ASX:WOR) fell 7% on news its largest shareholder – Sidara – is selling off 19% of its stake in the company through an underwritten block trade.
WOR closed at $15.09.
And, long-time copper miner Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) was down nearly 4% after announcing a US$4 million deal to expand its Chilean copper project and the Costa Fuego Project.
The company has secured an option to acquire the Domeyko cluster, in a historic copper-gold mining centre, reflecting the largest land consolidation for Hot Chili in 5 years. The site is within 30 kilometres of the company’s planned processing hub.
HCH closed at $1.25cents.
