S&P/ASX 200 jumps 1.07% as RBA keeps cash rate at all-time low; home prices hit record high

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) has surged 1.07% to 6587.5 by about 3.45 pm after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decided to hold official interest rates at a record-low 0.1%. The RBA started the year with a cash rate of 0.75% but has cut the rate to its current level through March and then November. Home prices surge Home prices have hit record highs in 32 of the 88 SA4 regions across Australia in November. The CoreLogic Home Value Index of national home prices rose 0.8% in November – the most since February (pre-pandemic). Prices were up 3.1% over the year. Capital city home prices lifted 0.7%, led by gains of 1.9% in both Canberra and Darwin. Regional home prices out-performed combined capitals, up 1.4% in November – the most in 16.5 years. Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH) (+15.56%), FYI Resources Ltd (ASX:FYI) (+21.95%), YPB Group Ltd (ASX:YPB) (+50.00%), Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX:SOR) (+12.12%), Sensen Networks Ltd (ASX:SNS) (+13.64%), Carnavale Resources Limited (ASX:CAV) (+11.11%) and Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) (+13.33%). Proactive news headlines: Australian Vanadium maintains focus on technical excellence ahead of banakable due diligence outcomes in 2021 Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) maintained its focus on technical excellence throughout the September quarter by continuing pilot work for its flagship namesake project in Western Australia, setting the building blocks for positive bankable due diligence outcomes in 2021. Buru Energy sells a further ~68,000 barrels (gross) of Ungani oil under its marketing agreement with BP Singapore Buru Energy Limited (ASX:BRU) completed the latest lifting of Ungani crude oil from Wyndham Port on November 30 2020, with the MT NS Power lifting a total of 67,757 barrels gross with Buru’s share being 50%. Carnavale Resources kicks-off aircore drilling at Kookynie Gold Project Carnavale Resources Ltd (ASX:CAV) has kicked off a 6,450 metres aircore drilling program, which is part of a systematic exploration program at the Kookynie Gold Project in the West Australian Goldfields. Strategic Elements scales-up Battery Ink capability to 2,000 self-charging battery cells Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX:SOR) has successfully tested five battery cells capable of charging themselves through energy harvested from humidity in the air. Auroch Minerals receives first assays from maiden drilling at Horn as exploration continues Auroch Minerals Ltd (ASX:AOU) has received the first assay results from the maiden diamond drilling program at the Horn prospect within the Leinster Nickel Project in Western Australia. Miramar Resources higher on kicking off maiden drilling program at Gidji gold JV near Kalgoorlie Miramar Resources Limited (ASX:M2R) is trading higher after beginning its first drilling campaign since listing on the ASX - a maiden aircore program at its Gidji Joint Venture Project, 15 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie. Australian Strategic Materials produces 6 kilograms of key NdFeB alloy for permanent magnets Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX:ASM) has produced 6 kilograms of a key neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy at the Korean Institute of Rare Metals (KIRAM) facility in Korea for use in permanent magnets. Platina Resources soil sampling at Challa Gold Project shows potential to reduce exploration costs Platina Resources Limited (ASX:PGM) has completed a major soil sampling program at its wholly-owned Challa Gold Project in Western Australia that shows future exploration could be less costly than first budgeted. Brookside Energy’s Thelma 1-32 well acquisition by Orion Project JV to create new area of interest to complement SWISH Brookside Energy Ltd’s (ASX:BRK) Orion Project Joint Venture with Stonehorse Energy Limited (ASX:SHE), which recently acquired the Thelma 1-32 well, is set to establish a new area of interest (AOI) to complement Brookside’s SWISH AOI in Oklahoma's Anadarko Basin. Australian Vanadium signs vanadium offtake, electrolyte supply and battery sales MOU with VRFB manufacturer Australian Vanadium signs vanadium offtake, electrolyte supply and battery sales MOU with VRFB manufacturer Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Singapore-based vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) manufacturer, V-Flow Tech Pte Ltd (V-Flow). Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies widens European footprint with Balkan deal Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited (ASX:ROO) has expanded its European presence through a letter of intent (LOI) with established agriculture and water treatment technologies supplier Avital COO, to deploy the company’s proprietary root zone temperature optimisation (RZTO) and heat exchange probe technology in Serbia and other countries in the Balkans. Imugene doses first patient in Phase 1 clinical trial of checkpoint immunotherapy candidate PD1-Vaxx for lung cancer Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU) (OTCMKTS:IUGNF), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, has dosed the first patient in a Phase I clinical trial of its checkpoint immunotherapy candidate, PD1-Vaxx, in Melbourne, Australia. Marvel Gold begins drilling aimed at expanding Tabakorole 910,000-ounce resource Marvel Gold Ltd (ASX:MVL) has begun a 44-hole, 6,300-metre reverse circulation (RC) resource expansion drilling program at its Tabakorole Gold Project in southern Mali. Legend Mining ends Mawson field season spectacularly with best diamond drill hole to date Legend Mining Ltd (ASX:LEG) has recorded the best diamond drill hole to date at its Mawson prospect within the Rockford Project, Fraser Range, Western Australia, with RKDD034 intersecting 43.1 metres of massive nickel-copper sulphide, including one zone of 31.1 metres. Mithril Resources identifies a large hydrothermal gold-silver system in Mexico Mithril Resources Ltd (ASX:MTH) has identified a large hydrothermal gold-silver system while drilling at the El Refugio target, Cometa Project in the Copalquin Gold Silver District, Mexico.