S&P/ASX 200 trading higher after lunch as oil price hits five-month low

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) gained 0.45% to 5955 points by 1.05 pm after a choppy start ahead of tomorrow’s RBA interest rate meeting and the US Presidential Election on Wednesday. Westpac (ASX:WBC) shares slipped 1.31% after reporting a 62% fall in cash earnings for the year and will pay shareholders a sharply reduced dividend of 31 cents. Shares in AMP Limited (ASX:AMP) were up 8% after US investment firm Ares offered to buy 100% of AMP's shares for $1.85 per share - a $6.4 billion deal that far surpasses analyst predictions. Record home prices Across regional and suburban Australia median home values hit record highs in 21 Statistical Area 4 (SA4) regions in October, according to CoreLogic. The geographical spread of the growth is impressive with prices hitting all-time highs in seven NSW regions, six Queensland regions, four South Australian regions and three Tasmanian regions. Manufacturing activity expands In further good news, Australian manufacturing activity expanded by the most in over two years in October, according to Australian Industry Group (AiGroup) The AiGroup Performance of Manufacturing Index rose from 46.7 in September to a 2-year high of 56.3 in October. However, the IHS Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index eased from 55.4 in September to 54.2 in October. Readings above 50 indicate an expansion in activity. Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Pharmaxis Ltd. (ASX:PXS) (+42.05%), Cauldron Energy Ltd (ASX:CXU) (+11.76%), Engage:BDR Ltd (ASX:EN1) (+20.00%), High Peak Royalties Ltd (ASX:HPR) (+12.28%), Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) (+12.50%), Ironbark Zinc Limited (ASX:IBG) (+61.54%) and VIP Gloves Ltd (ASX:VIP) (+10.39%). Proactive news headlines: Marvel Gold raises $5.7 million to accelerate 2020-21 gold exploration program Marvel Gold Ltd (ASX:MVL) has received binding commitments to raise $5.7 million through a placement of 95 million shares at 6 cents per share to professional and sophisticated investors. Northern Minerals begins drilling aimed at growing Browns Range resource Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX:NTU) has started a major exploration drilling program at its Browns Range Heavy Rare Earth Project in northern Western Australia with an objective of increasing the project’s heavy rare earth resource and life of mine potential. Australian Vanadium produces high-purity vanadium pentoxide in roast-leach pilot tests Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) has produced high-purity vanadium pentoxide from representative leach liquor using hydrometallurgical methods, tested as part of a detailed flowsheet validation program for the Australian Vanadium Project. Emyria boosts capital position with $954,180 R&D tax incentive refund from Australian Government Emyria Ltd (ASX:EMD) has strengthened its capital position after receiving a Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive refund of A$954,180 for the financial year 2019/2020. Ironbark Zinc progresses towards Citrönen final investment decision with letter of interest from Export-Import Bank of the United States Ironbark Zinc Limited (ASX:IBG) has executed a Letter of Interest (LOI) with the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), the official export credit agency of the United States' Federal Government. VIP Gloves sees EBITDA rise 340% in September quarter boosted by growing demand and hike in average selling price VIP Gloves Ltd (ASX:VIP) saw earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) surge 340% in the September quarter, boosted by a sharp rise in average selling price and the addition of two production lines. Pharmaxis achieves gold standard as Bronchitol granted FDA approval for US market Pharmaxis Ltd (ASX:PXS) (OTCMKTS:PXSLY) (FRA:UUD) has reached the top biotech echelon with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) agency’s approval of its cystic fibrosis treatment Bronchitol® (mannitol) representing a transformational milestone. Imugene receives FDA IND approval for phase-1 clinical trial of new checkpoint immunotherapy PD1-Vaxx in USA Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU) (OTCMKTS:IUGNF) has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) approval to initiate a phase-1 clinical trial of its checkpoint immunotherapy candidate, PD1-Vaxx in the USA. Musgrave Minerals achieves strong Starlight gold recoveries from tests using conventional methods Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV) has achieved gold recovery results described as exceptional in initial metallurgical test-work on Starlight gold lode at Break of Day deposit within the Cue Gold Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Castillo Copper sampling identifies up to 4.2 kilometres of strike next to operating copper mine in Zambia Castillo Copper Ltd’s (ASX:CCZ) (LON:CCZ) (FRA:7OR) systematic infill soil sampling at the Mkushi Project in Zambia’s copper-belt have confirmed eight target areas with significant copper anomalism and extended strike lengths, which now range from 1.5 to 4.2 kilometres. Nexus Minerals RC drilling at Pinnacles JV confirms high-grade gold in proposed open pit Nexus Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXM) RC drilling has confirmed high-grade mineralisation within the proposed open pit at Pinnacles JV Gold Project in the eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Great Boulder Resources receives more encouraging results with Mulga Bill gold mineralisation extended Great Boulder Resources (ASX:GBR) has received more encouraging assay results, which suggest that Mulga Bill at the Side Well Gold Project sits within a large mineralised system, with gold identified over more than 3 kilometres of strike and coincident with a deeper weathering profile and extensive shearing.