It has been a bull market today. After opening higher this morning following strong leads from Wall Street, the ASX 200 saw an early rally, peaked just after midday, and has been slowly easing off over the afternoon to end 0.5 per cent higher at 6,195. The majority of sectors made headway with Healthcare maintaining the lead throughout the day.
The S&P/ASX200 indexAt the closing bell the S&P/ASX 200 index closed 28 points higher to finish at 6,195.
Over the week, the market has gained 20 points or 0.3 per cent.
Futures marketDow futures are suggesting a fall of 35 points.
S&P 500 futures are eyeing a dip of 4 points.
The Nasdaq futures are eyeing a fall of 13 points.
The ASX200 futures are eyeing a 26 point rise on Monday morning
Company news Centuria Capital Group
(ASX:CNI) has received $137 million from ESR Real Estate for a 19.51 per cent stake in Properylink Group
(ASX:PLG). Centuria today announced that it intends to use the funds to retire $40 million in short term debt in order to strengthening its balance sheet. Group CEO, John McBain, says Centuria will have a strengthened cash position, which will be utilised in part to support their unlisted funds management activities, and provide ongoing co-investment in the Centuria managed Real Estate Investment Trusts. Centuria also took the opportunity to reaffirm their guidance in relation to their 2019 financial year distribution of 9.25 cents per share and operating earnings of 12.7 cents per share.” Shares in Centuria Capital Group
(ASX:CNI) last traded at $1.38.
Retailing, importing and distributing giant, Premier Investments
(ASX:PMV) has released its half year results for the period ending 26 January 2019. They show a 13 percent increase in net profit after tax.
The board of Corporate Travel Management
(ASX:CTD) has announced that Ewen Crouch will take over from Tony Bellas as chairman.
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
(ASX:ANZ) has completed its $3 billion share buyback.
Insurance and banking services provider Suncorp
(ASX:SUN) is set to pay a fully franked special dividend of 8 cents per share following the successful completion of the sale of its Australian Life Business.
Biotechnology company Immutep
(ASX:IMM) has received the grant of a new patent from the United States Patent Office for a new method of treating cancer.
Gold company St Barbara
(ASX:SBM) has completed their feasibility study for their Gwalia Mass Extraction project.
Best and worst performers of the dayThe best performing sector was Healthcare adding 1.2 per cent while the worst performing sector was Materials, shedding 0.1 per cent.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Pact Group Holdings
(ASX:PGH), rising 6.3 per cent to close at $2.72. Shares in Syrah Resources
(ASX:SYR) and Estia Healthcare
(ASX:EHE) followed higher.
The worst performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was St Barbara
(ASX:SBM),dropping 29.3 per cent to close at $3.29. Shares in Saracen Mineral Holdings
(ASX:SAR) and Regis Resources
(ASX:RRL) followed lower.
Asian markets Lower:Japan’s Nikkei has lost 0.2 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng has lost 0.6 per cent and the Shanghai Composite has lost 0.8 per cent.
Wall Street Wrapped up our four trading days this week higher: The Dow Jones added 0.4 per cent, The S&P 500 added 1.1 per cent and the tech heavy Nasdaq gained 1.9 per cent.
Commodities and the dollar Gold is trading at US$1,308 an ounce.
Iron ore futures are pointing to a fall of 0.2 per cent.
Light crude is 36 cents lower at US$59.87 barrel.
One Australian dollar is buying 71.05 US cents.
