Travel stocks helped to drive the ASX higher in morning trading. The S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.3% at 7514 after rising to 7,518.7. The index is heading for its first two-day rise in the past seven days.
Fingers crossed.
Webjet Limited was up 4.7% at time of writing, Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd rose 4.5% and Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) Limited rose 3.3% to $4.53 in early trade.
Qantas is doing all it can to get its planes up in the air, with CEO Alan Joyce launching a nationwide campaign to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
Australians 18 and over who get fully vaccinated between now and the end of the year can enter Qantas’ 'mega prize draw' to win free flights, accommodation and fuel.
Ten winners will each collect a year’s worth of flights to 60 destinations (including overseas destinations), free accommodation at 345 different hotels and free fuel.
Further prizes will be awarded to non-major prize winners.
According to Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, increased vaccination numbers would drive down lockdowns and allow people to get back to work.
“The impact of the pandemic on the travel industry and our own Qantas Group team members means we have a clear vested interest in the success of the vaccine rollout,” he said.
“For us, getting the vaccine rate up to 70 and 80 per cent means thousands of people can go back to work.”
Sectors performing well
The Energy sector has also led the gains, with Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX:WPL) up 3.3% as oil prices surged.
IT and Materials had good mornings. Nanosonics Ltd was the stock to watch up 19%.
On the small cap front
Perseus Mining Limited is up 3.36% today after it updated the life of mine plan for Yaouré, one of its three flagship West African gold assets, forecasting annual production of 260,000 ounces.
Predictive Discovery Ltd is up 5.60% after exceptional gold results from seven diamond drill (DD) and reverse circulation (RC) holes totalling 1,268 metres, which is due to be completed in late September.
White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has gained 3.23% after cementing the merger between it and AuStar Gold Ltd.
Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX, OTCQX:BLSTF, FRA:B9S) was up 8.24% after it intersected 375 metres of nickel sulphide from 2 metres at the Ban Phuc DSS deposit within the wider Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Project in northern Vietnam, demonstrating the large bulk tonnage potential.