Following mixed leads, the Australian share market looks set for a cautious open as investors nurse yesterday’s two and a half year lows. It was a choppy session on Wall Street, with investors managing to shake off some of the negative sentiment and pare most early losses heading into the close.
Markets
Wall Street closed mixed yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3 per cent to close at 16,399, the S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent to close at 1,924 and the NASDAQ lost 0.01 per cent to close at 4,638.
European markets closed lower: London’s FTSE lost 0.7 per cent, Paris lost 0.5 per cent and Frankfurt lost 0.25 per cent.
Asian markets closed lower: Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.4 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 2.8 per cent, and China’s Shanghai Composite lost 5.3 per cent.
The Australian share market closed lower yesterday: The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 59 points down to finish at 4932. On the futures market the SPI is 13 points up.
Currencies
The Australian Dollar at 8:40AM was buying $US0.6994 cents, 48.12 Pence Sterling, 82.34 Yen and 64.44 Euro cents.
Company news
Trade Me Group Limited
(ASX:TME) has announced plans to change the pricing for members listing and selling goods in its General Items marketplace. The new pricing will come into effect on 1 February 2016. Measures include the move to ‘zero success fees’ on items selling for $1 or less. Shares in Trade Me Group closed 0.26 per cent up yesterday at $3.81.
Decmil Group Limited
(ASX:DCG) has announced the extension of its QCLNG wellsite installation services contract for QGC Pty Limited. The extension is initially estimated to be worth approximately $35 million for 2016. Shares in Decmil Group closed 1.5 per cent lower yesterday at $0.98.
Commodities
Gold has lost $3.50 to $US1,094 an ounce for the February contract on Comex.
Silver has lost $0.08 to $13.84 for March.
Copper has lost $0.05 to $1.97 a pound.
Oil has lost $2.10 to $US32.22 a barrel for February light crude in New York.
