US stocks opened higher on Friday following positive comments from US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicating the likelihood of an interest rate rise by year’s end.
However the indexes reversed some of their early gains ahead of the weekend to end mixed following a late sell off in the healthcare sector.
Further concerns around China’s outlook are likely to weigh on the local share market ahead of the RBA monthly credit figures on Wednesday and manufacturing figures on Thursday.
US economic news
The Commerce Department said that US gross domestic product for the second quarter increased at an annualized rate of 3.9 per cent, above analyst expectations of 3.7 per cent growth.
And the consumer sentiment reading for September rose to 87.2 from 85.7 earlier in the month.
Markets
Wall Street closed mixed ahead of the weekend: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7 per cent to close at 16,315, the S&P 500 lost 0.05 per cent to close at 1,931 and the NASDAQ lost 1 per cent to close at 4,687.
European markets closed stronger: London’s FTSE advanced 2.5 per cent, Paris surged 3 per cent and Frankfurt also gained nearly 3 per cent.
Asian markets closed mixed: Tokyo’s Nikkei added 1.8 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.4 per cent, and China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 1.6 per cent.
The Australian share market closed lower on Friday: The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 30 points down to finish at 5,042 to be 128 points lower on the week. On the futures market the SPI is 4 points down.
Currencies
The Australian Dollar at 7:20AM was buying 70.28 US cents, 46.32 Pence Sterling, 84.68 Yen and 62.78 Euro cents.
Company news
Pilbara Minerals Limited
(ASX:PLS) has completed on the acquisition of 100 per cent of the Tabba Tabba Tantalum project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The project was recently a 50/50 joint venture between Pilbara and Valdrew Nominees. Shares in Pilbara Minerals last traded 1.96 per cent higher at $0.26.
And Skilled Group Limited
(ASX:SKE) has declared a special dividend of 15.5 cents per share fully-franked to effect the acquisition of Programmed Maintenance Services Limited
(ASX:PRG). Added to the final dividend of 9.5 cents per share the special dividend will fund the cash component of the scheme consideration. Skilled Group last closed 0.3 per cent higher at $1.695.
Commodities Gold has slipped $8.20 to $US1,146 an ounce for the December contract on Comex. Silver has slipped 4 cents to $15.10 for December. Copper has dropped 2 cents to $2.28 a pound. Oil has added $0.79 to $US45.70 a barrel for November light crude in New York.
| Name | Code | Date | Amount(cents) | Franking |
| Aurora Absolute | ABW | 28/09/15 | 1.5 | 0 |
| Aurora Glb Trust | AIB | 28/09/15 | 1.7 | 0 |
| Asia Pacific Data | AJD | 28/09/15 | 2.3 | 0 |
| Aurora Div Income | AOD | 28/09/15 | 0.4 | 256 |
| Apn Property Group | APD | 28/09/15 | 0.3 | 100 |
| Aims Pror Sec Fund | APW | 28/09/15 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Arena REIT. | ARF | 28/09/15 | 2.7 | 0 |
| Aurora Property | AUP | 28/09/15 | 10.8 | 0 |
| Australian Enhanced | AYF | 28/09/15 | 10.0 | 44.91 |
| Brookfield Prime | BPA | 28/09/15 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Cabcharge Australia | CAB | 28/09/15 | 10.0 | 100 |
| Centuria Metro REIT | CMA | 28/09/15 | 4.3 | 0 |
| Cromwell Prop | CMW | 28/09/15 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Estia Health Ltd | EHE | 28/09/15 | 13.6 | 100 |
| Ethane Pipeline | EPX | 28/09/15 | 3.3 | 76.78 |
| Folkestone Edu Trust | FET | 28/09/15 | 3.4 | 0 |
| GBST Holdings.. | GBT | 28/09/15 | 5.5 | 100 |
| Garda Div Prop Fund | GDF | 28/09/15 | 2.3 | 0 |
| Independence Group | IGO | 28/09/15 | 2.5 | 100 |
| Meridian Energy | MEZ | 28/09/15 | 9.8 | 0 |
| Meridian Energy | MEZ | 28/09/15 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Pioneer Credit Ltd | PNC | 28/09/15 | 6.8 | 100 |
| Ps&C Limited | PSZ | 28/09/15 | 3.0 | 100 |
| Rural Funds Group | RFF | 28/09/15 | 2.2 | 0 |
| Rfm Poultry | RFP | 28/09/15 | 2.5 | 100 |
| Regis Resources | RRL | 28/09/15 | 6.0 | 100 |
| Sirtex Medical | SRX | 28/09/15 | 20.0 | 100 |
| 360 Capital Grp | TGP | 28/09/15 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 360 Capital Office F | TOF | 28/09/15 | 4.3 | 0 |
| 360 Capital Total Re | TOT | 28/09/15 | 2.8 | 0 |
| Valmec Limited | VMX | 28/09/15 | 0.5 | 100 |
