It has been a lack-lustre end to the trading day for the Australian share market. After opening in positive territory the ASX200 lost momentum throughout the session but managed to finish in the black by the skin of its teeth, closing 0.12 per cent higher. While the healthcare space made some solid gains, this was offset by weakness in the telcos sector following more than half a billion dollars in Telstra
(ASX:TLS) trades following a somewhat underwhelming profit result.
At the closing bell the S&P/ASX 200 index closed 7 points up to finish at 5,816.
The value of trades was $6.6 billion on volume of 922 million shares at the close of trade. The top three stocks by value were Telstra Corporation Limited
(ASX:TLS), Commonwealth Bank and BHP Billiton
(ASX:BHP)On the futures market the SPI is 1 point lower.
Company newsOrigin Energy Limited
(ASX:ORG) has disappointed with its first half 2017 results with underlying profit falling 28 per cent to $184 million from $254 million in the previous corresponding period. Following a number of writedowns the LNG company widened its bottom line loss to $1.68 billion. Origin Energy did not declare an interim dividend. Shares in Origin Energy closed down 2.21 per cent at $7.09.
Telstra
(ASX:TLS) has reported an 11.8 per cent fall in half year net profit for 2017 to $1.8 billion.
Tatts Group
(ASX:TTS) has reported a 16.5 per cent drop in its half-year net profit to $122.8 million.
Sonic Healthcare
(ASX:SHL) has posted a 5 per cent increase in statutory net profit to $197 million.
Best and worst performersThe best performing sector was Healthcare adding 2.25 per cent to close at 22,118. The worst performing sector was Telcos, losing 6.4 per cent to close at 1,702 points.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Domino’s Pizza
(ASX:DMP), rising 7.73 per cent to close at $57.70. Shares in Whitehaven Coal
(ASX:WHC) and Orora
(ASX:ORA) also closed higher.
The worst performing stock was Telstra
(ASX:TLS), dropping 6.55 per cent to close at $4.85. Shares in TPG Telecom
(ASX:TPM) and Vocus Communications
(ASX:VOC) also closed lower.
Gold and the dollarGold is trading at $US1,235 an ounce.
Light crude is flat at $53.48 a barrel.
The Australian dollar is buying $US0.7712.
