US stocks had opened with an early surge however news that Fed policy makers had voted 9-1 to keep interest rates on hold in the face of global headwinds saw the main indexes give up their gains to end slightly lower.
Markets
US stock closed mixed yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4 per cent to close at 16,675, the S&P 500 lost 0.3 per cent to close at 1,990 and the NASDAQ added 0.1 per cent to 4,894.
European markets were also mixed: London’s FTSE shed 0.7 per cent, Paris added 0.2 per cent and Frankfurt was virtually flat.
Asian markets closed mixed: Tokyo’s Nikkei added 1.4 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.5 per cent, and China’s Shanghai Composite dropped 2.1 per cent.
The Australian share market closed higher: The S&P/ASX 200 Index was 48 points up to finish at 5,147. On the futures market the SPI is 1 point down.
Currencies
The Australian Dollar at 7:20AM was buying 71.65 US cents, 46.01 Pence Sterling, 86.12 Yen and 62.78 Euro cents.
Company news
After market close yesterday, Service Stream Limited
(ASX:SSM) announced they have been awarded a 5 year deal with nbn. The contract is worth $8-$10 million and will see Service Stream plan and implement construction of broadband infrastructure starting in Victoria. Shares in Service Stream is flat at $0.32
GDI Property Group
(ASX:GDI) will acquire a property at 223-237 Liverpool Road in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. GDI will pay $35 million for the office space which is fully leased to the government until 2020. Delayed settlement will allow GDI to create a new unlisted fund for the property which allows for multiple exit options including residential conversion after the lease runs out. Shares in GDI last traded 1.09 per cent lower at $0.91.
Ex-divs Three companies are going ex-dividend today: Macquarie Atlas Roads Group
(ASX:MQA) will pay ten cents with no franking, Royalco Resources
(ASX:RCO) will pay 0.5 cent fully franked and Slater & Gordon
(ASX:SGH) will pay 5.5 cents with 40 per cent franking.
Commodities Gold has slipped $2.00 to US$1,117 an ounce for the December contract on Comex. Silver has added 22 cents to $15.11 for December. Copper is up by 1 cent to $2.45 a pound. Oil has dropped 31 cents to US$47.20 a barrel for October light crude in New York.
| Name | Code | Date | Amount(cents) | Franking |
| Macq Atlas Roads Grp | MQA | 18/09/15 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Royalco Resources | RCO | 18/09/15 | 0.5 | 100 |
| Slater & Gordon | SGH | 18/09/15 | 5.5 | 40 |
| MGM Wireless Limited | MWR | 21/09/15 | 1.3 | 0 |
| Seven Group Holdings | SVW | 21/09/15 | 20.0 | 100 |
| Collection House | CLH | 22/09/15 | 4.7 | 100 |
| IOOF Holdings Ltd | IFL | 22/09/15 | 28.0 | 100 |
