The Australian share market ,maintained most of its gains today to finish the day 0.6 per cent higher. Buoyed by news of the Greek Parliament approving conditions set out by its creditors in return for a bailout package.
Yesterday’s statement’s by Janet Yellen signal the US Federal Reserve will raise rates this year but there was no clear impact locally as Wall Street didn’t see any major move.
The Aussie dollar did continue to head lower though, pushing below $US0.74
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 33 points up to finish at 5,670.
The value of trades was $4.8 billion on volume of 694 million shares at the close of trade. The top three stocks by value were Westpac Banking Corporation
(ASX:WBC), Commonwealth Bank of Australia
(ASX:CBA) and BHP Billiton Limited
(ASX:BHP).
On the futures market the SPI is 26 points up.
Company news
Shares in Whitehaven Coal Limited
(ASX:WHC) dipped despite delivering a record June quarter and annual production for the year to the end of June. Quarterly output grew 66 per cent to a record 4.8 million tonnes while annual coal output rose 41 per cent to a record 14.6 million tonnes. Whitehaven closed 6.43 per cent down at $1.17
QBE Insurance Group Limited
(ASX:QBE) gained on news its inked a deal to sell its North American Mortgage & Lender Services business. The insurance company will divest the asset for $US90 million to National General Holdings. Shares in QBE closed 1.95 per cent up at $14.67
Woodside Petroleum Limited
(ASX:WPL) has reported a fall in quarterly revenue and production for the second quarter of the 2015 calendar year.
Mining giant Rio Tinto Limited
(ASX:RIO) has increased its global iron ore output and shipments in the first half of the 2015 calendar year.
Regis Resources Limited
(ASX:RRL) has completed its acquisition of Gloster gold tenements for $1.5 million plus a gross royalty of $10 per ounce to be paid on any production from the tenements.
Iluka Resources Limited
(ASX:ILU) shares dipped as it reports lower production but higher revenue in the first half of 2015.
Best and worst performers
The best performing sector was telco services adding 1.25 per cent to close at 2,280. The worst performing sector was health care, losing 0.9 per cent to close at 19,131 points.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Greencross Limited
(ASX:GXL), rising 6.54 per cent to close at $5.70. Shares in Karoon Gas Australia Limited
(ASX:KAR) and Senex Energy Limited
(ASX:SXY) also closed higher.
The worst performing stock was Primary Health Care Limited
(ASX:PRY), dropping 8.09 per cent to close at $4.77. Shares in Whitehaven Coal Limited
(ASX:WHC) and Paladin Energy Limited
(ASX:PDN) also closed lower.
Commodities
Gold is trading at $US1,147 an ounce.
Light crude is $1.69 down at $US51.79 a barrel.
The Australian dollar is buying $US0.7366
