The Aussie share market closed flat today, following a mixed lead from Wall St overnight and falls in major bank NAB, after it announced it had raised $2 billion via an institutional placement of shares to help strengthen its balance sheet.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 4 points lower at 4,064 while on the futures market, the SPI200’s down 3.
To company news around this afternoon: Global miner BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) says it is ambivalent about the prospect of a nuclear power generation market developing in Australia. According to The Australian Associated Press, the miner’s chief operating officer for its newly created Uranium Australia unit, says it’s purely a matter for the Australian people and Australian government to make a decision on. The report says BHP expects to start mining at its Yeelirrie project in Western Australia in 2014. BHP shares closed 0.54 per cent higher at $37.10.
Resource company CBH Resources Ltd (ASX:CBH) says its Endeavor Mine performed strongly in the June quarter. For the quarter the company produced 15,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates and 9,000 tonnes of lead concentrates from its Endeavor mine. CBH says Zinc and lead production for 2008/2009 exceeded expectations with 106 per cent of budget achieved for zinc and 105 per cent of budget achieved for lead. Earlier this month CBH announced a recapitalisation plan to help ramp up production at its Endeavor mine and pursue the development of its Rasp Project. CBH Resources shares closed 4.55 per cent stronger at $0.115
Also making news today: Airport owner Macquarie Airports (ASX:MAP) has requested a trading halt saying that it expects to make a significant announcement regarding strategic options to enhance security holder value within the next two days.
Base metal miner Terramin Australia Ltd (ASX:TZN) has appointed Bryan Davis to the company’s board as an independent non-executive director.
According to a report in the Times Online, Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) has been accused by the Government of Guinea, of defying its authority and potentially destabilising civil peace in the miners efforts to gain mining concessions.
And drug Developer Biota Holdings Ltd (ASX:BTA) says royalties from the sale of its anti-flu drug Relenza more than doubled for the 2009 financial year from the year before.
Now to the best and worst performers: The best performing sector at close today was the Materials index which rose 141 points to 10,814; while the worst performing sector at close was the Consumer Staples index; down 131 points to 6,871.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ ASX200 was Mount Gibson Iron shares rose 15.31 per cent to $1.13. Shares in Kagara and PaperlinX also closed higher.
The worst performing stock was NAB with shares falling 5.22 per cent to $22.35 after coming out of a trading halt this morning having announced it had raised $2 billion via an institutional placement of shares at $21.50 a share. Shares in Woolworths and Felix Resources also closed lower.
In commodities, gold is trading at $953.80 U.S an ounce and light crude is up 14 cents at $65.54 U.S a barrel.
