♟️ Saturday 18 July 2026 Sat, 18 July 2026

Wild swings hit the ASX this week, with Janus Electric doubling, Aura sliding almost 30%, and TechGen jumping more than 22%. Big news kept landing, but many stocks still fell as early gains faded and traders locked in profits.

AMP led the week after lifting its profit outlook, while IAM jumped on record turnover and L1 Group slid despite strong funds growth. Across the sector, investors rewarded cash returns, deal progress and fresh guidance, but they were less forgiving where outflows or one-off costs stayed in view.

Big project news kept landing across gold, rare earths and battery minerals, but many small-cap share prices still fell hard. The week belonged to a giant gold merger at the top end, while further down the board early excitement often gave way to selling.

Big price swings hit healthcare stocks this week, but the sharpest falls did not always match the news flow. Revenue growth, trial progress and fresh US deals kept buying interest alive across parts of the sector.

Small-cap tech trading split into two clear camps this week: profit-backed winners and capital-raising laggards. Big contracts, rising recurring revenue and a major takeover kept money flowing into selected names.