New record highs on the ASX? Yawn. Market speculators are at it again, betting big on an “inevitable” August interest rate cut after Australian employment figures came in softer than a summer breeze.
The Reserve Bank is being cautious and still wants to eyeball the quarterly inflation data before it jumps. But the market’s already off to the races, soaring more than two per cent from Thursday morning like it’s got somewhere to be.
Tech and healthcare sectors were the week’s winners, gaining 2.5 and 2 per cent respectively, while more importantly snagging three of the four Runners spots this week.
The world’s biggest miner BHP was also smashing records as its newest South Flank mine amazingly ran above nameplate capacity in its first year.
The company says it has also pumped out some 2 million tonnes of copper group-wide, a record haul for the red metal that’s flying thanks to United States President Donald Trump and his favourite word – tariffs.
DroneShield soared on the week as defence stocks continue to boom in 2025. The counter-drone technology company stacked 30 per cent onto its share price on the announcement that its Sydney-based production facility will expand.
At the smaller and more exciting end of the market, the long underperforming small caps sector is stirring from its nearly three-year hibernation. Just 29 new listings were made in 2024 – the lowest number in 20 years.
This week saw two resources companies hit the boards and fly off the shelves: Gold play Ballard Mining ran up 80 per cent on the week and West Arunta hopeful Tali Resources spiked 125 per cent on day one of its listing Friday.
This week’s Bulls N’ Bears Runners list includes a promising mix from the booming tech and health sectors and the exciting West Arunta newcomer Tali Resources, with the top spot snagged by an innovative diagnostics player scoring big in the promised land of healthcare – the US.
LUMOS DIAGNOSTICS (ASX: LDX)
Up 176% (2.9c – 8c)
Bulls N’ Bears’ Runner of the Week is healthcare solutions company Lumos Diagnostics, which shot out of a cannon after announcing it had signed a pivotal, exclusive US distribution and supply agreement with PHASE Scientific International, valued up to US$317 million (A$487 million).
Lumos is a leader in rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies and specialises in developing and commercialising tests to help doctors accurately diagnose and manage infectious diseases.
Its flagship product, FebriDx, is a rapid test that differentiates bacterial from viral respiratory infections in just 10 minutes using a finger-stick blood sample. Importantly, the technology could help address antibiotic overuse by providing clear clinical guidance for prescriptions.
With operations in the US, mainland China and Hong Kong, PHASE is a multi-billion-dollar player delivering novel diagnostic tools and services for cancer and infectious diseases using proprietary technologies.
The agreement is for the exclusive distribution of FebriDx for six years in the juicy US market - news that saw Lumos’ share price skyrocket 176 per cent to a high of 8 cents on Wednesday on a massive $6.5 million in stock traded.
The agreement comprises a US$1 million (A$1.54 million) non-refundable exclusivity payment on signing and an additional US$7.5 million in non-refundable prepaid purchase orders, payable in three tranches.
Punters are betting in droves on Lumos’s potential to transform respiratory diagnostics in the world’s largest healthcare market. This deal isn’t just about dollars and cents, it aligns Lumos with PHASE Scientific’s established US network and its proven brand track record of more than 100 million test sales.
With antibiotic resistance a growing global concern, Lumos’s tech could save healthcare systems billions, while improving patient outcomes. This week’s share price surge could be a mere appetiser for what’s to come if the US Food and Drug Administration gives a green light.
TALI RESOURCES LTD (ASX: TR2)
Up 125% (20c – 45c)
Diving late at the line to finish a close second is ASX newcomer Tali Resources, which has seen the greatest day-one listing performance in years. The company’s share price shot up a massive 120 per cent on Friday after the names behind the West Arunta darling and 100-bagger WA1 Resources moved while the iron is hot to raise $7.5 million to chase giant copper deposits in the red-hot West Arunta region.
The West Arunta region, near the Western Australian-Northern Territory border, is Australia’s latest geological frontier. Tali, which was spun out of Agrimin Limited and is led by WA1 Resources director Rhys Bradley, says it controls a massive 4000 square kilometres of tenements in the coveted region. The tenements are adjacent to WA1’s Luni niobium-rare earths discovery.
Tali’s mission is strategic exploration to identify large-scale mineral deposits and replicate its previous success, this time with copper as the primary target.
Punters clearly see Tali’s potential to repeat WA1’s success, with its vast tenement package and focus on copper, a metal in red-hot demand for the global clean energy transition. The feeding frenzy on the first day of trading was evident as more than $1 million in stock was traded for to a high of 45c per share from a raising price of 20c..
The $7.5 million war chest gives Tali the firepower to launch aggressive exploration, with drilling plans set to test high-priority targets across its sprawling tenure.
Its share price got off to a hot start, already doubling on day one, but Tali still has a long way to go to live up to WA1’s dream 2022 IPO.
OSTEOPORE LTD (ASX: OSX)
Up 100% (1c – 2c)
Taking out bronze on this week’s Runners of the Week list was regenerative medicine company Osteopore Limited. The company shot out of the gates early after it locked in lucrative market approval for its 3D-printed implants in Switzerland under the European Union’s medical device regulations.
Osteopore's patent-protected scaffolds are made using a proprietary manufacturing technique with a polymer that naturally dissolves over time as it is replaced by healthy, new growth bone tissue.
The bio-resorbable implants stimulate natural bone healing and can be used in neurosurgery, orthopaedics and craniofacial applications to significantly reduce post-surgery complications commonly associated with permanent bone implants.
Operating globally, including in Europe, Asia and the US, Osteopore partners with giants such as Zimmer Biomet to distribute its innovative implants.
The company’s share price doubled on Monday to close at 2c per share up from a close last week of 1c on a handy $1 million in traded stock.
The company says its high-value implant range provides market leader Zimmer Biomet with opportunities to offer high-value implants to the Swiss and greater European markets to complement its range of off-the-shelf neurosurgical and craniofacial implants.
This week’s milestone follows Osteopore’s 2023 transition and a 2024 exclusive distribution deal with Zimmer Biomet, completing its portfolio for off-the-shelf and custom implants targeting Europe’s US$527.6 million cranial implant market. The market is projected to hit $26.7 billion for custom implants by 2029.
Investors jumped on the news, seeing Osteopore’s Swiss clearance as a gateway to broader European adoption, especially with Zimmer Biomet’s clout driving sales in high-value markets.
Osteopore’s tech is simple but brilliant in a world where traditional implants just needed a tech facelift. With Europe’s custom implant market looking at explosive growth, this week’s share price surge reflects what could lie ahead for the struggling biotech.
ClearVue Technologies’ vacuum-insulated solar glazing was installed at the headquarters of Hong Kong’s electrical and mechanical services department. Credit: File.
CLEARVUE TECHNOLOGIES LTD (ASX: OSX)
Up 93% (14c – 27c)
Snagging our final Runners’ spot and absolutely flying this week is green-tech company ClearVue Technologies, which says it is ready to roll out its full range of breakthrough solar façade products that promise to transform a glazed building into a solar photovoltaic array.
The company recently underwent a management refresh and on Wednesday announced that its fully certified range of vacuum-integrated solar glazing products, including cladding and spandrels, was ready for order and immediate deployment in projects.
The innovative company plays in the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) sector, developing solar glazing that generates electricity while lowering energy usage and maintaining glass transparency for aesthetic building design.
Its vacuum-insulated glazing (VIG) units, developed with LandGlass Technology’s LandVac, integrate solar technology into windows and façades, targeting sustainable construction and net-zero buildings.
Operating primarily in Australia with a focus on Asian markets such as Hong Kong, ClearVue’s solutions meet stringent fire safety standards for high-rise and high-risk environments.
The company has been turning heads this week, and saw its share price surge 93 per cent to a 27c close on Friday, after ClearVue released stellar results from a trial of its VIG units in the headquarters of Hong Kong’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
The trial showed a 4.6-year payback period (2.6 years with subsidies) and the potential to offset 74-125 per cent of a 40-storey building’s energy needs.
With certifications in place and a new Hong Kong subsidiary plus an R&D joint venture with LandVac, investors piled in to bet on ClearVue’s ability to capitalise on Asia’s sustainable building boom.
The company says its technology is a perfect fit for urban centres racing toward net-zero carbon goals, especially in Asia where high-rise construction is booming.
With its Hong Kong trial success, coupled with a U-value of 0.58 – trouncing standard windows – ClearVue is well positioned as a leader in energy-efficient building design.
With Hong Kong’s government endorsement and plans for further R&D, the company is poised to turn skyscrapers into power plants, making this week’s share price jump a tantalising hint of the green revolution ClearVue could unleash globally.
EVION GROUP NL (ASX: EVG)
Up 47% (1.9c – 2.8c)
Runners’ this week includes a notable mention for critical minerals player Evion Group NL. Evion kicked into gear on Tuesday, revealing it had been recognised by the European Union as a critical raw materials supplier for its flagship Maniry graphite project in the emerging mining jurisdiction of Madagascar.
Management has recently been jet-setting to meetings with EU-backed funding partners to discuss infrastructure upgrades to support the project’s massive export capacity. Evion wants to carve out a niche as a key supplier for the global clean energy transition and says it is focused on developing high-quality graphite deposits to feed booming demand for battery anode materials, particularly for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. It aims to position itself as a vital link in the global supply chain for this critical raw material.
As Europe scrambles to diversify its graphite supply away from dominant players such as China, Evion’s strategic engagement with European officials signals a fast-tracked development timeline for Maniry.
The move sent the company’s share price sprinting 47 per cent from 1.9c at the close last Friday to a high of 2.8c today. With graphite’s role in the green revolution growing, the $10 million market-capped Evion is more than close to gatecrashing the ASX’s Runners list. It could be one to watch if those EU deals turn into dollars.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Andrew Todd
