The ASX 200 built on Thursday’s impressive gains to open 9.2 points to the good at 5,746, defying predictions that it would in fact lose ground.
There was a warning from the boss of Santos Ltd (ASX:STO), Kevin Gallagher, who said planned controls on the export of gas could cripple the industry.
Buddy Platform news applauded...
Shares in Buddy Platform Ltd (ASX:BUD), a specialist in the internet of things, advanced 9% early. It has inked a deal with Digicel that will see one of Buddy’s main products rolled across 26 markets in the Caribbean and Central America.
The strategic review and rebasing of the dividend by professional services group Countplus Ltd (ASX:CUP) doesn’t appear to have gone down particularly well with investors. The shares, off 42% in the last year, fell a further 12% Friday.
HearMeOut up strongly...
Whitehaven Coal Ltd, whose revenues undershot consensus when it updated the market Thursday, was an early large-cap casualty, posting a 2% fall.
Social media micro-cap HearMeOut Ltd (ASX:HMO) was up more than 50% at one point, backed by substantial trading volumes. So far this week it is up 133% - with absolutely no new news.
There is plenty of chatter among the more speculative elements in the investment community with a lot of noise around Kidman Resources Ltd (ASX:KDR) post its tie-up with SQM. Also being talked about were AVZ Minerals Ltd (ASX:AVZ), Fastbrick Robotics Ltd (ASX:FBR) and 88 Energy (ASX:88E).
