Market Wrap: Aus shares close 1.28% higher

Market Reports

Well it has only been a short trading day being Christmas Eve and all, but it’s clear Australian investors were in a spending mood, with the local share market closing the day 1.28 per cent higher. We could put it down to Christmas spirit or perhaps a positive lead from Wall Street thanks to a jump in energy stocks; but most of our sectors finished the day in the black, with the blue chips namely BHP and CBA doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. 
 
Today, the S&P/ASX 200 index closed 66 points higher to finish at 5,208. 
Over the week the index gained 101 points. 
 
The value of trades was $1.9 billion on volume of 278 million shares at the close of trade. The top three stocks by value were BHP Billiton Limited (ASX:BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX:RIO)
 
On the futures market the SPI is 69 points higher.
 
US markets

US major indexes have risen over the three trading days this week: The Dow Jones Industrial Average has added 2.7 per cent. The S&P 500 Index has gained 2.85 per cent. The NASDAQ has added 2.4 per cent. The 100 Index has added 2.4 per cent. 
 
Company news

Admedus Limited (ASX:AHZ) has announced it has finished 2015 in a strong position following a number of key milestones it achieved throughout the year. The company says its CardioCell product, used to treat cardiovascular disease has been used in over 135 centres globally and its Aortic Valve reconstruction study has been initiated at leading heart centres. Shares in Admedus closed 0.71 per cent higher at $0.71. 
 
Santos Limited (ASX: STO) has announced that the GLNG project participants have executed an agreement with AGL Energy for the purchase of 254 petajoules of gas for supply to the GLNG project.
 
CIMIC Group’s (ASX:CIM) global mining contractor Theiss has been awarded a contract worth $115 million to continue operating the Southern pits of the Dawson Coal Mine in Central Queensland.
 
Best and worst performers

The best performing sector was Materials adding 3.3 per cent to close at 7,076. The worst performing sector was Industrials, losing 0.1 per cent to close at 4,771 points.
 
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Beach Energy, rising 9.28 per cent to close at $0.53. Shares in Whitehaven Coal and AWE also closed higher.
 
The worst performing stock was Aurizon, dropping 3.67 per cent to close at $4.20. Shares in Mayne Pharma and Spotless Group also closed lower. 
 
Commodities and the dollar

The price of gold is trading at $US1,074 an ounce, and is up $8.63 over the week.
Light crude is $1.75 higher at $US37.89 a barrel.
The Australian dollar is buying US$0.7252 and is almost a cent higher over the week. 

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