The Australian share market started the trading session lower today has now clawed back its early losses. The ASX is really shaking off the negative leads from Wall street closing lower after Apple shares lost 2.8 per cent and US treasury notes rose, which fuelled US selling.
Despite that, the ASX looks set to possibly hang onto its sixth day of gains.
Half of the sectors are making gains today, with financials, energy and staples boding well. Meantime, commodities continued their rally with the iron ore price gaining about 4 per cent to US$68.45 and futures also pointing to a further rise of 1.3 per cent. And the miners are seeing some profit taking.
The S&P/ASX 200 index was flat at midday or 2 points up at 5,883. On the futures market the SPI is 1 points lower.
Company newsDairy company, Fonterra Co-Operative Group
(ASX:FSF) has issued about NZ$9.4 million of shares for its 2018 interim dividend re-investment plan. About 1.7 million shares were issued today at NZ$5.58. Shares in Fonterra Co-Operative Group
(ASX:FSF) are trading 0.4 per cent lower at $5.38.
Slater and Gordon
(ASX:SGH) has appointed Michael Neilson as company secretary. Shares in Slater and Gordon
(ASX:SGH) are trading 0.3 per cent higher at $3.11.
Adairs
(ASX:ADH) shares are soaring today after it announced a further upgrade to its FY18 earnings. Its gross margin guidance was increased to 60 to 61 per cent, its sales guidance was further increased by about $10 million to $310 to $315 million, while its EBIT guidance was revised up by about $4 million to $44 to $46.5 million. At noon, Adairs shares had soared 16 per cent higher to $2.14.
Best and worst performersThe best performing sector is staples adding 0.4 per cent to 10,261 points while the worst performing sector is telcos, shedding 0.8 per cent to 1,123 points.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 is Retail Food Group
(ASX:RFG), rising 5.6 per cent to $0.94, followed by shares in G.U.D. Holdings Limited
(ASX:GUD) and Iress
(ASX:IRE).
The worst performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 is Evolution Mining
(ASX:EVN), dropping 8.2 per cent to $3.08, followed by shares in G8 Education Limited
(ASX:GEM) and APN Outdoor Group
(ASX:APO).
Asian markets Japan’s Nikkei is flat at the minute, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng has lost 0.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite has lost 0.4 per cent.
Commodities and the dollar Gold is trading at $US1,343 an ounce.
One Australian dollar is buying 77.20 US cents.
CryptocurrenciesThe three most traded cryptocurrencies are trading higher. Bitcoin trades at US$8,381, Ethereum has gained 10 per cent US$584 and Ripple has gained 20 per cent US$0.87.
