The Australian sharemarket is expected to open in negative territory today as US stocks snapped a five-session winning streak. A reversal in oil prices pushed energy stocks 4 percent lower as weaker-than-expected Chinese trade data exacerbated downward sentiment.
Markets
Wall Street closed lower yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6 per cent to close at 16,964, the S&P 500 lost 1.1 per cent to close at 1,979 and the NASDAQ lost 1.3 per cent to close at 4,649.
European markets closed lower: London’s FTSE lost 0.9 per cent, Paris lost 0.9 per cent and Frankfurt lost 0.9 per cent.
Asian markets closed mixed: Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.8 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.7 per cent, and China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.1 per cent.
The Australian share market closed lower yesterday: The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 35 points down to finish at 5,108. On the futures market the SPI is 25 points down.
Currencies
The Australian Dollar at 8:30AM was buying $US0.7441 cents, 52.37 Pence Sterling, 83.81 Yen and 67.63 Euro cents.
Economic news
Due out today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics is housing finance data for January. Also due for release on this Wednesday is the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Survey of Consumer Sentiment
Company news
Spark Infrastructure RE Limited
(ASX:SKI) has announced the appointment of Paul Italiano as the new Chief Executive Officer of TransGrid. Mr Italiano will take up his position mid-year and replaces Mr Peter McIntyre who has led the organization since 2010. Spark Infrastructure holds a 15.01 percent interest in TransGrid. Shares in Spark Infrastructure closed 0.49 per cent lower yesterday at $2.04.
Senex Energy Limited
(ASX:SXY) has secured a series of put options for the first half of the 2017 financial year. Senex said the put options provide revenue protection over 400,000 barrels of oil, without limiting Senex’s exposure to the upside from higher prices. The company said the hedging program was in response to the sharp increase in the Brent oil price. Shares in Senex Energy closed 4.08 per cent lower yesterday at $0.24.
Ex-dividends | Name | Code | Date | Amount(cents) | Franking |
| Australian Ethical | AEF | 9/03/16 | 120.0 | 100 |
| Apn Outdoor Grp | APO | 9/03/16 | 11.0 | 100 |
| Ariadne Australia | ARA | 9/03/16 | 0.5 | 20 |
| Blackmores Limited | BKL | 9/03/16 | 200.0 | 100 |
| Collection House | CLH | 9/03/16 | 3.9 | 100 |
| Caltex Australia | CTX | 9/03/16 | 70.0 | 100 |
| Cleanaway Waste Ltd | CWY | 9/03/16 | 0.8 | 100 |
| Hansen Technologies | HSN | 9/03/16 | 3.0 | 83.33 |
| Healthscope Limited | HSO | 9/03/16 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Iluka Resources | ILU | 9/03/16 | 19.0 | 100 |
| IRESS Limited | IRE | 9/03/16 | 26.7 | 60 |
| MACA Limited | MLD | 9/03/16 | 4.0 | 100 |
| MYOB Group Ltd | MYO | 9/03/16 | 5.0 | 0 |
| 1300 Smiles Limited | ONT | 9/03/16 | 11.0 | 100 |
| Paragon Care Limited | PGC | 9/03/16 | 0.8 | 100 |
| Pm Capital Fund | PGF | 9/03/16 | 1.5 | 100 |
| Prophecy Internation | PRO | 9/03/16 | 2.0 | 0 |
| RCR Tomlinson | RCR | 9/03/16 | 1.8 | 0 |
| Sandfire Resources | SFR | 9/03/16 | 2.0 | 100 |
Commodities
Gold has lost $1.80 to $US1,262 an ounce for the April contract on Comex.
Silver has fallen $0.27 to $15.37 for May.
Copper has fallen $0.07 to $2.22 a pound for May.
Oil has lost $1.59 to $US36.31 a barrel for April light crude in New York.
