S&P/ASX 200 rises to 11-month high of 6,900 as big miners and banks rise

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) has hit a new 11-month high today with the index touching 6,900 points at about 1.45 pm, its best level since February 2020. This follows a surge on Wall Street on Friday to new highs amid strong corporate earnings, stimulus hopes and the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Locally, the big miners and banks have gained with Rio Tinto Limited (ASX:RIO) up 3.1%, BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) gaining 2.15% and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) rising 1.40%. Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Engage:BDR Ltd (ASX:EN1) (+20.00%), Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX:TMR) (+27.08%), Volt Resources Ltd (ASX:VRC) (+25.00%), Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) (+22.22%) and Astro Resources N.L. (ASX:ARO) (+25.00%). Proactive news headlines: Tempus Resources jumps on receiving assays of up to 186 g/t gold during phase-I drilling at Elizabeth Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX:TMR) (CVE:TMRR) is trading higher on receiving strong assays of up to 186 g/t gold from the first 11 drill holes completed as part of phase-I drilling on the Elizabeth sector of Blackdome Elizabeth Gold Project in Canada. Meteoric Resources broad high-grade gold assays from Palm Springs extend mineralisation Meteoric Resources NL (ASX:MEI) (FRA:RNF) has received broad high-grade assays from the final seven holes of the maiden 2020 exploration program at Palm Springs Gold Project in Western Australia with mineralisation extended over 360 metres along strike to the southwest of Butchers Creek open-pit. Bardoc Gold aircore results highlight North Kanowna Star as major exploration target Bardoc Gold Ltd (ASX:BDC) (FRA:4SF) has intersected extensive zones of shallow gold mineralisation in wide-spaced aircore drilling at its North Kanowna Star Project (NKS), 29 kilometres southeast of the proposed mill and infrastructure of the Bardoc Gold Project, in Western Australia. Creso Pharma brings cannaQIX® sales inhouse to unlock further sales growth in Switzerland Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH) (OTCMKTS:COPHF) (FRA:1X8) has brought the marketing and sales function of cannaQIX® inhouse, taking over from its commercial partner Doetsch Grether in Switzerland, following a growing trend of direct inbound sales enquiries and interest in the product. Ora Banda Mining transitions to producer as it recommissions Davyhurst process plant and pours first gold Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX:OBM) (FRA:M6N) has become a gold producer after it successfully recommissioned the Davyhurst Gold Process Plant, together with its associated site infrastructure, with the first gold poured on Sunday, February 7, 2021. Firefinch notches 2.2-million-ounce gold resource as ‘Morila the Gorilla’ returns Firefinch Ltd (ASX:FFX) (OTCMKTS:EEYMF) (FRA:N9F) says ‘Morila the Gorilla is back’ with a new mineral resource estimate of 42.6 million tonnes at 1.6 g/t gold for 2.2 million contained ounces, up from 1.2 g/t gold for 1.3 million ounces. Artemis Resources fields better than expected ionic leach sample assays that highlight Apollo and Atlas potential within Paterson Central Artemis Resources Ltd (ASX:ARV) has received better than expected ionic leach soil sample assays further highlighting the large, top-ranked Apollo and Atlas targets within the wider Paterson Central Project in Western Australia, north of the Havieron gold-copper discovery. Fenix Resources farms into Scorpion's iron ore rights adjoining Iron Ridge project Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX:FEX) has entered into a binding term sheet for a farm-in and joint venture agreement with Scorpion Minerals Ltd (ASX:SCN) for two tenements E20/953 and E20/948, totalling 384 square kilometres, adjacent and contiguous to Fenix’s recently commissioned Iron Ridge Project.