Following positive overseas leads the Australian sharemarket looks set to open higher. Shares on Wall Street reversed an earlier dip, rallying into the close and hitting a 2016 high as Fed Chair Janet Yellen suggested the central bank should proceed with caution when considering the raising of interest rates.
The US CB Consumer Confidence Index improved to 96.2 in March, beating expectations of a 94 read.
Markets
Wall Street closed up yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 per cent to close at 17,633, the S&P 500 added 0.9 per cent to close at 2,055 and the NASDAQ gained 1.7 per cent to close at 4,847.
European markets closed mixed: London’s FTSE fell 0.01 per cent, Paris gained 0.9 per cent and Frankfurt gained 0.4 per cent.
Asian markets closed mixed: Tokyo’s Nikkei lost 0.2 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.1 per cent, and China’s Shanghai Composite lost 1.3 per cent.
The Australian share market closed lower yesterday: The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 80 points down to finish at 5,005. On the futures market the SPI is 33 points up.
Currencies
The Australian Dollar at 7:30AM was buying $US0.7632 cents, 53.06 Pence Sterling, 86.02 Yen and 67.6 Euro cents.
Company news
Liquefied Natural Gas Limited’s
(ASX:LNG) wholly owned subsidiary, Bear LNG Corporation has reached an agreement to purchase additional land from Nova Scotia Business. The acquisition of the additional 72-acres of land supports the expansion of its proposed LNG facility on the Strait of Canso in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. Shares in LNG closed 4.42 per cent lower yesterday at $0.54.
Redflow Limited
(ASX:RFX) has advised that a Redflow LB energy storage system has been delivered to Base64 Pty Limited in Ken Town, South Australia and successfully commissioned on site. Shares in Redflow closed 3.53 per cent up yesterday at $0.44.
Ex-dividends | Name | Code | Date | Amount(cents) | Franking |
| Aurora Absolute | ABW | 30/03/16 | 1.0 | 0 |
| Aurora Glb Trust | AIB | 30/03/16 | 1.7 | 0 |
| Asia Pacific Data | AJD | 30/03/16 | 2.4 | 0 |
| Aurora Div Income | AOD | 30/03/16 | 0.3 | 234 |
| Aims Pror Sec Fund | APW | 30/03/16 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Arena REIT. | ARF | 30/03/16 | 2.8 | 0 |
| Aurora Property | AUP | 30/03/16 | 10.9 | 0 |
| Aventus Retail Fund | AVN | 30/03/16 | 3.7 | 0 |
| Australian Enhanced | AYF | 30/03/16 | 10.0 | 31.61 |
| Brookfield Prime | BPA | 30/03/16 | 6.0 | 0 |
| Cabcharge Australia | CAB | 30/03/16 | 10.0 | 100 |
| Centuria Metro REIT | CMA | 30/03/16 | 4.3 | 0 |
| Cromwell Prop | CMW | 30/03/16 | 2.1 | 0 |
| Cedar Woods Prop. | CWP | 30/03/16 | 12.0 | 100 |
| Folkestone Edu Trust | FET | 30/03/16 | 3.4 | 0 |
| Garda Div Prop Fund | GDF | 30/03/16 | 2.3 | 0 |
| Gpt Metro Office Fnd | GMF | 30/03/16 | 3.9 | 0 |
| Keybridge Capital | KBC | 30/03/16 | 0.3 | 100 |
| Meridian Energy | MEZ | 30/03/16 | 4.3 | 0 |
| Meridian Energy | MEZ | 30/03/16 | 2.3 | 0 |
| Pioneer Credit Ltd | PNC | 30/03/16 | 3.6 | 100 |
| Ps&C Limited | PSZ | 30/03/16 | 2.5 | 100 |
| Pwr Holdings Limited | PWH | 30/03/16 | 0.6 | 100 |
| Rural Funds Group | RFF | 30/03/16 | 2.2 | 0 |
| Rfm Poultry | RFP | 30/03/16 | 2.5 | 100 |
| SG Fleet Group Ltd | SGF | 30/03/16 | 5.2 | 100 |
| 360 Capital Grp | TGP | 30/03/16 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 360 Cap Indust Fund | TIX | 30/03/16 | 5.4 | 0 |
| 360 Capital Office F | TOF | 30/03/16 | 4.3 | 0 |
| 360 Capital Total Re | TOT | 30/03/16 | 1.5 | 0 |
Commodities
Gold has gained $22.00 to $US1,244 an ounce for the April contract on Comex
Silver has gained $00.18 to $15.37 for May.
Copper has fallen $0.03 to $2.21.
Oil has fallen $0.89 to $US38.50 a barrel for April light crude in New York.
