markets

ASX finishes higher on volatile day, US stimulus passed, Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) now a takeover target The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) rallied strongly on the Labour Day public holiday for Victorians, opening 1.7% higher but giving up gains during the session to finish a more modest 0.4% higher. Much of the positive moves were driven by the materials sector,…

ASX down as dividends rule the day, retail sales recover but Myer (ASX:MYR) smashed The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) fell another 0.8% on Thursday, dragged down by a flurry of major companies paying out dividends. The likes of BHP Group (ASX:BHP), CSL (ASX:CSL), and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) fell 3.1%, 4.2%, and 6.2% respectively as they paid out billions of dollars in dividends to income starved…

GDP smashes expectations, ASX rises, economic activity expands  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) continued its winning ways gaining 0.8% on Wednesday following the release of Australian economic growth results this morning. GDP growth for the December quarter smashed all expectations hitting 3.1% and making Australia one of the fastest growing developed nations in the world. Economists and other experts…

RBA comments push market lower, energy, iron ore prices fall, A2 Milk jumps 8% The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) gave up a strong open, trading as much as 1% higher, to finish down 0.4% for the day. With reporting season having come to an end, investors are now watching economic and central bank data intensely for any signs of…

Global markets drop, ASX200 down most in five months, Orica (ASX:ORI) and Afterpay (ASX:APT) smashed The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) fell 2.4% on Friday, the worst daily fall in five months, taking the weekly performance down 1.8% but still managed to deliver a 1% return for February. On Friday it was all about tech or anything that has benefitted…

ASX bounces back, BNPL reports, Ramsay (ASX:RHC) reinstates dividend  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.8% higher following a strong US lead overnight, with healthcare and materials leading the way, up 1.7% and 1.4% respectively. Ramsay Healthcare (ASX:RHC) was the standout, jumping 7.7% after reinstating their dividend at 48.5 cents per share. The private hospital operator reported a ‘resilient’ result,…

ASX to open higher on US policy, mining sell off, Woolworths (ASX:WOW) drinks demerging, Platinum (ASX:PTM) delivers performance fee The ASX200 struggled to keep up with the positive US lead, falling 0.9% in the session with a number of companies going ex-dividend key to the weakness. Despite having no impact on the companies’ operations, the payment of…

ASX200 lower on bond rates, Crown (ASX:CWN) to face commission, Costa Group (ASX:CGC) boosted by avocados  The ASX200 finished 0.2% lower on a mixed day for the market, with resources and materials leading the way adding 2.6% ahead of a bumper dividend season. Most of the weakness came from the healthcare and IT sectors as the 10-year…

Tough finish to the week, Cochlear (ASX:COH) rallies despite taking a hit, QBE Insurance (ASX:QBE) reports billion dollar loss The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) dropped 1.3% on Friday, sending the benchmark to a 0.2% loss for the week despite a strong series of company reports. Friday’s weakness was driven by the energy sector, which fell 3.6% and mining, -2.4%,…

ASX finishes flat, CSL (ASX:CSL), Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) delivers again, Fortescue (ASX:FMG) delivers record dividend The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished flat for the day, but with growing dispersion in underlying company performance. Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) lead the way, jumping 17.5%, but it was healthcare company CSL (ASX:CSL) that contributed most with the consumer discretionary (+0.6%) and the healthcare (+2.0%) the few winners. Unemployment…