Daily Special: Immutep, DXN, BlinkLab, Raiden Resources, archTIS

The Australian sharemarket pared early losses on Wednesday to trade largely unchanged, despite a sharp decline on Wall Street following stronger-than-expected US inflation data. The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 4.4 points to 9,124.6 at 12.04pm AEDT, with all sectors except mining trading higher. Mining stocks fell, weighed down by Rio Tinto, Northern Star and Newmont, while technology stocks rebounded, led by a rise in Life360. Banks also strengthened, with ANZ gaining while Commonwealth Bank was little changed despite reporting an 8 per cent increase in first-quarter net profit. Wall Street declined after US consumer prices rose 0.4 per cent in October, while core inflation increased 0.3 per cent, prompting investors to reassess expectations for Federal Reserve interest rates. Here, IDP Education shares surged following a potential takeover approach from Blackstone, while GQG Partners shares fell after reporting further investor withdrawals.

In small cap company news,

Immutep (ASX: IMM) has reported encouraging preliminary survival data from its Phase II EFTISARC-NEO trial evaluating eftilagimod alfa, or efti, in combination with Keytruda and radiotherapy for patients with resectable soft tissue sarcoma. Among 38 evaluable patients, the 12-month disease-free survival rate reached 81.1 per cent, while local recurrence-free survival was 94.1 per cent and distant metastasis-free survival was 86.2 per cent, following a median observation period of 19.1 months. The company will present further analyses at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society conference on 19 November, with longer-term follow-up ongoing. Separately, Immutep has secured a new US patent covering efti-based combination cancer therapies, expanding its portfolio to five US patents in the same family. The latest patent, which expires in March 2038, strengthens intellectual property protection for efti combinations with certain immune checkpoint inhibitors. The clinical results remain preliminary, with further trials required.

DXN (ASX: DXN) has secured a binding contract worth approximately $4.8 million from an undisclosed global internet company to design, manufacture and commission a modular cable landing station for a Pacific region site under US jurisdiction. The contract marks the fourth order from the same customer and covers a complete infrastructure solution incorporating power, cooling, fire suppression, security and monitoring systems. Manufacturing is expected to commence immediately across DXN’s Malaysian and Western Australian facilities, with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of the 2028 financial year. The latest agreement expands DXN’s contracted work in subsea communications infrastructure, which supports international internet connectivity through undersea cable networks.

BlinkLab (ASX: BB1) has reported positive results from an exploratory study investigating its smartphone-based neurological assessment technology in people with SHANK2-related autism. The study identified statistically significant differences in sensory processing and movement responses between eight participants with the genetic mutation and comparison groups comprising 10 unaffected siblings and 99 community participants. The findings suggest BlinkLab’s technology can detect measurable neurological differences associated with this rare genetic condition. Conducted in collaboration with the SHANK2 Foundation, the study was completed ahead of its previously anticipated early-2027 reporting schedule. BlinkLab said the results could support future research into digital biomarkers and clinical trial assessments, while its separate US FDA regulatory program for BlinkLab Dx1 remains unchanged. The findings are exploratory and require further validation.

Raiden Resources (ASX: RDN) has entered into a binding option and earn-in agreement with Lobito Resources covering a 507-square-kilometre copper exploration project in Zambia’s Copper Domes region. The agreement provides Raiden with a pathway to earn up to an 80 per cent interest in the project, located approximately 31 kilometres from First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel copper mine and 40 kilometres from Barrick’s Lumwana operation. The licence contains around 22 kilometres of interpreted geological formations associated with copper mineralisation elsewhere in the Central African Copperbelt. No historical drilling has been recorded on the licence in the available data. Subject to due diligence, Raiden plans to undertake exploration aimed at identifying targets for future drilling. The project remains at an early exploration stage, with no mineral resource established.

archTIS (ASX: AR9) has secured a $217,000 contract with a Nasdaq-listed US satellite communications and defence technology company to provide sensitive data management and security software. The 12-month agreement comprises $115,000 in software licences and $102,000 in support and development services. The customer will deploy archTIS’ Spirion Sensitive Data Manager and Trusted Data Integration technologies to identify, classify and protect sensitive government information across isolated computer networks. The contract follows a competitive evaluation and represents archTIS’ third US commercial customer win in recent weeks, following agreements in aviation and financial services. The company is expanding its presence in the US defence and government technology market, where secure information sharing remains a key requirement.