Click here and skip to 2:42.40 to tune into the interview with CEO of ASX:FBR Mark Pivac on the ABC!
Crazy week in the market – time to relax.
Have a great weekend!
Across Markets…
The Australian sharemarket on Friday fell the most since US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs in April, as sliding commodity prices, concerns about AI and a dive in bitcoin triggered broad equity derisking.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index plunged 2 per cent, or 180.40 points, to 8708.90 with all 11 sectors lower in a nearly $65 billion wipeout that was the biggest since a 4.2 per cent drop on April 7, 2025. For the week, the benchmark fell 1.8 per cent.
Etoro market analyst Zavier Wong said unlike Trump’s tariffs in April, the selling on Friday was not triggered by a single catalyst but instead by a steady accumulation of concerns about stretched valuations, with investors derisking across multiple asset classes.
“The speed of this sell-off suggests we’re in a forced deleveraging event rather than an orderly correction, with bitcoin touching $US60,000 for the first time since October 2024 and tech down around 11 per cent for the week.”
“The fact that investors are questioning the three pillars that drove markets in 2025 – AI, crypto, and precious metals – all at once, raises the odds of further unwinding.”
On the ASX, technology dived 12.6 per cent for the week, as Amazon fell 11 per cent in after-hours trading, after its plan to spend $US200 billion in capex raised concerns about whether big investments in AI would pay off. WiseTech Global dropped 4.7 per cent to $47.60, NextDC 3.9 per cent to $12.71, and TechnologyOne 5 per cent to $21.86.
Concerns about AI weighed on uranium stocks again as fears continued that the technology may not spark a boom in nuclear power. Deep Yellow dived 12 per cent to $2.20 and Paladin 10.9 per cent to $11.01.
In commodities, silver rose 2 per cent from an 18 per cent tumble in the previous session, while gold nudged higher towards $US4811 an ounce. The volatility weighed on miners with BHP down 3.1 per cent to $48.79, South32 4.1 per cent to $4.41 and Newmont 4.9 per cent to $154.80. Rio Tinto was flat at $157.08 after it ended talks on a potential merger with Glencore.
Source: AFR
FirstWave Cloud Tech Pivots to AI Compliance with Open-AudIT v6, Secures Funding
FirstWave Cloud Technology (ASX: FCT) has announced multiple strategic updates, including the launch of its AI-driven Open-AudIT v6, a significant CSIRO collaboration, and the securing of near-term liquidity through a capital raise and new loan facility.
FirstWave launched Open-AudIT v6 with a new free licensing tier, designed to drive commercial upgrades and monetise its existing user base.
Early adoption metrics show 5,991 downloads, a 6.09% commercial trial conversion rate and 194 open leads.
The company has a substantial freemium base, with approximately 20,000 active users on Open-AudIT.com and 19,000 on Open-AudIT.org.
FirstWave is actively transitioning from a traditional software vendor towards an AI-powered compliance platform.
Securing Near-Term Liquidity
- In Q2 FY26, FirstWave raised a net AUD$2.66 million, significantly bolstering its cash reserves.
- The company also secured a 3-year AUD$2.5 million loan facility with Partners for Growth.
- A AUD$2.5 million convertible note was fully repaid, reducing outstanding debt obligations.
- These funding efforts are expected to contribute to achieving cash positivity in Q3 FY26.
AI Collaboration and Development
FirstWave received AUD$264,982 in RUIC funding for its AI-powered compliance software development, in collaboration with CSIRO and UniSC.
The project aims to develop production-ready AI/ML models for predictive compliance, utilising live operational data.
This collaboration aligns with national priorities for cybersecurity and digital resilience.
The initiative holds potential to monetise advanced AI capabilities across FirstWave’s extensive freemium user base, which encompasses more than 150,000 organisations in 178 countries.
Operational Restructuring and Sales Focus
Restructuring efforts were completed in Q2 FY26, incurring AUD$0.5 million in costs during the quarter.
The company anticipates ongoing quarterly savings of approximately AUD$0.45 million resulting from these restructuring activities.
The CEO is relocating to North America from February to March to accelerate sales efforts in key markets.
FirstWave has successfully renewed contracts with significant clients including NASA, Claro DR, and Telmex.
Source: SmallCaps
Company: Fin Resources Ltd (ASX:FIN)
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.0065
Today’s Price Change: $0.013 Unchanged
Company: Locksley Resources Ltd (ASX:LKY)
Sector: REE & Antimony/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.04
Today’s Price Change: $0.165 -6.06%
Company: CuFe Ltd (ASX:CUF)
Sector: Copper/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.016 with 1:2 option, strike $0.025
Today’s Price Change: $0.046 +2.22%
Company: Tasman Resources Ltd (ASX:TAS)
Sector: Gold/Silver/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.0125 with 1:2 option, strike $0.02
Today’s Price Change: $0.039 Unchanged
Company: Tambourah Metals Ltd (ASX:TMB)
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.04
Today’s Price Change: $0.056 -1.75%
Company: Biotron Ltd (ASX:BIT)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.003 with 1:2 option, strike $0.02
Today’s Price Change: $0.0035 +16.67%
Company: Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM)
Sector: REE
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.015
Today’s Price Change: $0.021 -8.7%
Company: Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:NEU)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: On-market purchase
Latest Entry Price: $1.20 – $1.50
Today’s Price Change: $12.52 -5.15%
Company: Dimerix Ltd (ASX:DXB)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: Rights Issue
Raise Amount: $800,000
Latest Entry Price: $0.08 with 1:1 option, strike $0.126
Today’s Price Change: $0.490 -4.85%
Sector: Blockchain
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $1M
Latest Entry Price: $0.02 with 1:1 option $0.08 strike
Today’s Price Change: $0.025 Unchanged
Company: Critica Limited (ASX:CRI)
Sector: REE
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $1M
Latest Entry Price: $0.0075 with a 1:1 CRIO
Today’s Price Change: $0.027 -3.57%
Sector: Lithium
Deal Type: IPO
Raise Amount: $8.6M
Latest Entry Price: $0.09 with 1:2 PL3O
Today’s Price Change: $0.11 +10%
Sector: Cybersecurity & AI
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $1.7M
Latest Entry Price: $0.01 with 1:3 option $0.02 strike
Today’s Price Change: $0.007 Unchanged
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $2.3M
Latest Entry Price: $0.026 with 1:2 option $0.032 strike
Today’s Price Change: $0.044 -4.35%
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