S&P/ASX 200 slips as miners drag

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) fell 0.46% to 6,963 points by 1.02 pm, despite both the US and European markets hitting record highs on Friday. Locally, the major iron ore miners fell, with BHP Group (ASX:BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) weighing on the index. Fed monetary policy The US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Sunday reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to keep loose monetary policy in place. Powell said: “I think it’s highly unlikely that we would raise rates anything like this year. “I’m in a position to guarantee that the Fed will do everything we can to support the economy for as long as it takes to complete the recovery.” Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine According to a new Israeli study, the COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa is able to evade some of the protection of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Researchers at Tel Aviv University and Clalit examined nearly 400 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. The researchers compared them to the same number of people who were infected and unvaccinated. They found the prevalence of the variant from South Africa, known as B.1.351, among patients who received two doses of the vaccine was about eight times higher than those who were unvaccinated. Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) (+25%), Greenland Minerals Ltd (ASX:GGG) (+18%), Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL) (+13.5%) and Valor Resources Ltd (ASX:VAL) (12.5%). Proactive news headlines: Pantoro completes $50 million sole funding obligation at Norseman Gold Project, moves to JV Pantoro Limited (ASX:PNR) (FRA:RKN) has completed its $50 million sole funding expenditure obligation at the Norseman Gold Project and has now formed an unincorporated joint venture. Imugene presents new data on anti-cancer treatments during prestigious AACR annual meeting Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU) (OTCMKTS:IUGNF) highlighted new data during presentations on the HER-Vaxx cancer immunotherapy program and the CF33 oncolytic virus program during the prestigious American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2021 Annual Meeting at the weekend. Twenty Seven Co rights issue to raise up to $2.65 million for next level of work across portfolio Twenty Seven Co Ltd (ASX:TSC) (FRA:U9V) has launched a partially-underwritten pro-rata renounceable rights issue at $0.005 per share to raise up to $2.65 million before costs. Antipa Minerals welcomes expansion by Rio Tinto of Citadel JV exploration program to $24.5 million Antipa Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZY) welcomes a A$10.7 million expansion of the 2021 exploration budget to A$24.5 million at the Citadel Gold-Copper Joint Venture Project with Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited (ASX:RIO). AVZ Minerals resource drilling confirms further high-grade lithium and tin at Manono Project with resource update underway AVZ Minerals Ltd (ASX:AVZ) (OTCMKTS:AZZVF) (FRA:3A2) has received more strong results from mineral resource drilling at Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 80 metres at 1.80% lithium and 1,119 parts per million tin from 2 metres. Miramar Resources diamond drilling extends Runway at Gidji JV and hits visible gold Miramar Resources Ltd’s (ASX:M2R) diamond drilling at 8-Mile target at the 80-% owned Gidji JV Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia has intersected visible gold while also extending the Runway porphyry deposit. Silver Mines expands exploration to investigate underground potential on path to production at Bowdens Silver Mines Limited (ASX:SVL) (OTCMKTS:SLVMF) (FRA:SWQ) is on the path to production at its Bowdens Silver Project pending approval of its Environmental Impact Statement from the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE). Capital gears up for drilling revenue growth in West Africa Capital Ltd (LON:CAPD) enjoyed strong revenue growth in 2020, during a turbulent year when most peers recorded none or declining revenue.