**Good Morning! Here’s What You Need to Know Before the ASX Opens – Friday, September 19, 2025**

Happy Friday! Before the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) kicks off today, let’s take a quick look at what happened overnight and what’s moving the markets.

### ASX Futures Point to a Positive Start

As of 7am AEST, ASX futures are up by 0.5%. That means we could see a solid opening when trading begins today.

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### Wall Street Hits New Highs Again

US and European markets had a strong night. In the US:

– The **Dow Jones** added 0.3%
– The **S&P 500** rose 0.5%
– The **Nasdaq** jumped 0.9%

All three indexes closed at new record highs. Even the **Russell 2000**, which tracks smaller US companies, hit its own record.

One of the biggest moves came from **Intel**, whose shares soared by 23%. Why? Tech giant **Nvidia** invested a massive **US$5 billion** in Intel, a surprise turnaround for a company that had fallen behind in recent years. Nvidia itself rose 3.5% just on the back of this bold move.

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### Crypto Exchange Bullish Turns Profitable

The crypto market also saw some excitement. **Bullish**, a crypto exchange backed by investor Peter Thiel, went from big losses last year to posting **over US$100 million in profits** this quarter. This was thanks to a 35% jump in trading activity.

The stock shot up **21%**, boosted further by news that Bullish secured a fresh **BitLicense** from New York regulators.

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### US Jobless Claims Drop Sharply

New data shows that **US jobless claims** fell by the biggest amount in four years. While that may sound like great news, remember: job numbers often reflect what happened weeks ago, not what’s coming next.

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### Crypto Market Heats Up

Cryptocurrencies are on the rise again:

– **Bitcoin** pushed above **US$117,000**
– **Ethereum** climbed past **US$4,600**

The surge came after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates and the **SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)** relaxed its rules on crypto ETFs. That means it will now be easier and faster to launch crypto investment funds, opening the door for more altcoins to enter mainstream portfolios.

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### Nuclear Power Is Back in Fashion

**Bank of America** now sees nuclear energy as a **US$10 trillion opportunity**, thanks to rising power needs from AI, electric vehicles (EVs), and data centers.

For years, nuclear was seen as too risky or outdated. But with new tech like **small modular reactors (SMRs)** gaining traction, nuclear stocks such as **NuScale** and **Oklo** are up more than 100% this year.

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### Commodity, Forex & Crypto Snapshot

Markets continue to shift fast across commodities, currencies, and crypto. Stay tuned for key prices throughout the trading day.

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### Hot Stocks on the ASX Radar

At the Resources Rising Stars event, a few names are getting attention:

– **Develop Global (ASX:DVP)**, **Uvre (ASX:UVA)**, and **Gorilla Gold Mines (ASX:GG8)** are gaining momentum thanks to experienced leadership and new resource projects.
– Investor **Daniel Harangozo** from Nero Resource Fund is betting on gold, gas, and tin, especially in small-cap stocks he believes are undervalued.
– **Hillgrove Resources (ASX:HGO)** announced high-grade copper-gold results at its Emily Star site. This boosts its expansion plans at Kanmantoo as it nears first production at Nugent.

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### Trading Halts to Watch

Several ASX-listed companies are on temporary trading halts:

– **Environmental Clean Technologies (ASX:ECT)** – material acquisition and capital raise
– **Lunnon Metals (ASX:LM8)** – processing deal for Lady Herial deposit
– **Memphasys (ASX:MEM)** – capital raise
– **Omega Oil & Gas (ASX:OMA)** – capital raise
– **QEM Limited (ASX:QEM)** – test results pending
– **Swift Networks Group (ASX:SW1)** – new agreement with a key customer

Keep an eye on these names for updates once trading resumes.

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That’s your morning market wrap—expect a strong start for the ASX today with plenty of momentum from Wall Street, crypto gains, and renewed interest in nuclear energy.