S&P/ASX 200 gains 0.50% as US begins rollout of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) gained 0.49% to 6,675 by 1.45 pm as the US began the rollout of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, setting in motion the biggest vaccination effort in the history of the US. Locally, gains from the banks, retailers, property stocks, Afterpay (ASX:APT), Woolworths (ASX:WOW) and Coles (ASX:COL) are helping offset losses from gold miners, energy, travel and healthcare stocks. Iron ore hits nine-year high Iron ore prices rose above US$160 a tonne on Friday, its highest level since October 2011. The rise comes as a fourth consecutive weekly decline in China’s iron ore port stockpiles signals that imports are struggling to keep up with China’s demand. Iron ore prices have risen almost 40% since mid-October. Record number of daily COVID-19 deaths in the US The US hit 16 million COVID-19 cases on Saturday afternoon, with deaths closing in on the 300,000 mark, even as millions of doses of a new vaccine started rolling out across the nation on Sunday. The first trucks carrying Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines pulled out of a Michigan manufacturing facility yesterday. The US reported its highest daily cases, more than 232,700, on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. In the latest 7-day average, the US is reporting 2,411 deaths per day, its highest 7-day average since the pandemic started. Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) (+17.91%), Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ZLD) (+11.11%), Davenport Resources Ltd (ASX:DAV) (+11.94%), Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX:LOT) (+13.04%), Carnavale Resources Limited (ASX:CAV) (+11.11%), Cirralto Ltd (ASX:CRO) (+13.89%) and Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) (+11.36%). Proactive news headlines: Kingwest Resources hits more high-grade Menzies gold with resource upgrade scheduled Kingwest Resources Ltd’s (ASX:KWR) drilling within the Lady Shenton, Lady Harriet and Yunndaga systems at Menzies Gold Project (MGP) in WA continues to return very high-grade gold grades. Auroch Minerals intersects further thick, shallow high-grade nickel-copper-PGE sulphides at the Horn Auroch Minerals Ltd (ASX:AOU) (FRA:T59) has hit more thick, shallow high-grade nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) sulphide mineralisation in maiden diamond drilling at the Horn prospect within the wider Leinster Nickel Project in Western Australia. Cellmid signs exclusive Asian master distribution deal with Ourui Health for Japanese anti-ageing hair and skincare products Cellmid Ltd’s (ASX:CDY) subsidiaries Advangen Ltd and Advangen Inc (Japan) have signed an exclusive Asian master distribution agreement with Ourui Health Management Ltd for the distribution of its Japanese, Ju-Ju® and Lexilis® branded, anti-ageing hair and skincare products. Musgrave Minerals raising $18 million to fund gold resource growth and start Cue PFS Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV) (OTCMKTS:MGVMF) (FRA:6MU) has received firm placement commitments from corporate, institutional and sophisticated investors to raise A$16 million and is arranging a Share Purchase Plan (SPP) to raise an additional A$2 million. Cirralto to extend business payments services offering through business payment aggregator deal with Fiserv and MasterCard Cirralto Limited (ASX:CRO) has entered into a business payments aggregator (BPA) agreement with Fiserv Inc (NASDAQ:FISV) (FRA:FIV) and MasterCard Inc (NYSE:MA) (FRA:M4I) to extend its business payments services offering. Jindalee Resources encouraged by observations from partially completed drilling at McDermitt Lithium Project Jindalee Resources Limited (ASX:JRL) has completed 15 holes of its proposed 21-hole drilling program at McDermitt Lithium Project in Oregon, USA, intersecting up to 185 metres true thickness of the target sediments hosting the lithium mineralisation. GTI Resources exploration planning work accelerates at US uranium project after completing acquisition of new leases GTI Resources Ltd (ASX:GTR) has accelerated exploration planning at its uranium-vanadium property in Utah, USA, subsequent to settling the acquisition and transfer of two mineral leases from Anfield Energy Inc (CVE:AEC) (OTCMKTS:ANLDF). Linius Technologies adds media and broadcasting expertise to board by appointing John Wallace as independent non-executive director Linius Technologies Ltd (ASX:LNU) (OTCMKTS:LNNTF) has strengthened its board by appointing ex-NBC and Deluxe boss John Wallace as an independent and non-executive director. Mako Gold reports continuing shallow, wide, high-grade gold intersections at Tchaga Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) has received further strong wide, high-grade assays from ongoing reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling at its flagship Napié Project in Côte d’Ivoire with 24 of 27 RC holes at Tchaga prospect intersecting gold mineralisation. Zelira Therapeutics in exclusive licensing deal with Alternative Solutions for distribution of HOPE™ products in Washington DC Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ZLD) (OTCQB:ZLDAF) (FRA:G1G) has entered into a binding licensing agreement with Alternative Solutions LLC to manufacture and distribute Zelira’s HOPE™ products in the Washington DC approved medical cannabis market. Castillo Copper records more shallow, visible copper oxide and sulphide intercepts up to 12 metres at Big One Deposit of Mt Oxide Castillo Copper Ltd (ASX:CCZ) (LON:CCZ) (FRA:7OR) continues to enhance the copper potential of Big One Deposit within the core Mt Oxide Project in northwest Queensland by intersecting incremental shallow, visible copper oxide (malachite) and sulphide (chalcocite) mineralisation, with cumulative intercepts up to 12 metres. MMJ Group investee WeedMD Inc reports 8% growth in net revenue quarter-over-quarter for the period ending September 30, 2020 MMJ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:MMJ) (OTCMKTS:MMJJF) (FRA:2P9) investee WeedMD Inc (CVE:WMD) (OTCMKTS:WDDMF) (FRA:4WE) has reported an 8% growth in net revenue quarter-over-quarter for the three months ended September 30, 2020.