Following mixed leads, the Australian share market opened lower and is 0.14 per cent down at noon. Local investors bucked a positive trend from Wall St. But shares are rallying into the lunch hour suggesting we could see a more optimistic afternoon session, as investors shrug off yesterday’s brutal losses.
The S&P/ASX 200 index is 13 points down at 5,082. On the futures market the SPI is 13 points lower.
Company news
BHP Billiton Limited
(ASX:BHP) has been added to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The miner was added to the index thanks to improvements in its water management and its general environmental score. Shares in BHP Billiton are trading up 0.38 per cent at $24.01.
Ziptel Limited
(ASX:ZIP) has rescheduled the global launch date of its iOS version of the Zipt app. The iOS version of the app will now be available to download for free on 25 September 2015. The move comes to coincide with the new Apple iPhone 6s also released on this date. Shares in Ziptel Limited are trading down 1.8 per cent at $1.09.
Best and worst performers
The best performing sector is Materials, gaining 0.15 per cent to 8,021. Shares in Syrah Resources have risen 4.23 per cent and are trading at $2.83. Shares in James Hardie and Rio Tinto are also stronger.
The worst performing sector is Consumer Discretionaries, falling 0.85 per cent to 1,726. Shares in Premier Investments have fallen 3.22 per cent, trading at $11.74. Shares in Automative Holdings and Village Roadshow are also lower.
Gold and the dollar
Gold is trading at $US1,112 an ounce.
The Australian dollar is buying $US0.7072
