Local stocks flat ahead of key U.S. jobs report later this evening. Macquarie Group is in the red following earnings and Myer is slumping due to sluggish sales.

Local stocks recover from a shakey start to trade at session highs at lunchtime on Monday

The ASX200 ended close to session highs on Wednesday helped by Chinese GDP figures. Every sector measured by the ASX ended higher.

Local stocks have started the session on a solid footing thanks to a rebound for US stocks overnight. Mining stocks are in focus on the back of production reports.

Local stocks ended with a solid gain although off the best levels of the session on Tuesday.

The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) slumped 1.29 per cent; finishing below 5400 points for the first time in two weeks and recording its biggest daily tumble in a month. Investors are likely to remain a little quiet this week due to the shortened Easter trading week.

Sellers have taken the initiative on Monday in the wake of selling on Wall St at the weekend.

Flat trading has dominated the early session for local stocks on Friday as investors await key jobs data from the US.

Local stocks struggled to advance today as investor anticipated the release of US data in coming days.

Poor news from Goodman Fielder (GFF) and Noni-B (NBL) has seen early gains for the ASX 200 trimmed.

Local stocks have started the new trading week with solid gains, every sector measured by the ASX is trading higher at lunchtime.

The ASX 200 started the day just in negative territory, although it drifted higher over the afternoon on Friday to finish within sights of the best levels of the day. The ASX 200 has gained just over 0.5% in the last 5 days.

The index traded down by 7 points at the low of the day and was ahead by the same amount at its best. There has been little on offer to motivate buyers or sellers alike in terms of corporate news.

Sellers returned to the ASX on Thursday with miners getting the most attention. A turnaround for banks helped the market recover from session lows.

The ASX 200 consolidated on its early gain gains to finish with in sight of session highs on Wednesday. Banks and Miners led the way. The government announced the sale of Medibank with an IPO expected in the 2014/15 financial year.

Buyers have returned to the local sharemarket on Wednesday with every ASX sector trading higher at lunchtime led by the miners.

The ASX 200 spent the afternoon recovering from the lows of the session which were seen in early trade. Miners were a part of the improved tone in the afternoon with BHP and RIO leading gains for the sector.

Aussie market under pressure: banks and retail lower. gold stocks hit by slump in gold overnight. Premier investments stronger.

Banks and retail stocks under pressure while the miners lift. Kathmandu (KMD) higher on strong sales.

The ASX 200 showed resolve to end higher despite weaker data out of China. Financial stocks were encouraged by a profit upgrade from Macquarie Bank.

Local stocks have consolidated in early trade on Friday following the losses inspired by the US Fed on Thursday.

The ASX 200 continued its recovery on Friday afternoon to finish at the best levels of the session helped by gains for the bulk miners. Over the course of the week the ASX 200 has gained 0.16%.

The possibility of US interest rates rising sooner than expected pushed local stocks lower on Thursday with sellers concentrating on the resource sector which was the worst performing sector on the day.

The ASX 200 ignored overnight gains on Wall St with sellers getting the edge in early trade, although at lunchtime the market had recovered to be flat.

Buyers returned to the Australian sharemarket on Tuesday after recent selling. DJS shares rose after the retailer indicated it was open to the idea of a merger with MYR. Gold stocks fell after the yellow metal retreated from 6 month highs.

Sellers keep the edge, after weak closes in the US and Europe on Friday night Australian markets still under pressure. No confirmation of the winners of the Crimea vote and pressure on the banks.

Sellers gained in confidence on Friday in the wake of weaker than expected economic news from China. The ASX 200 shed 1.5% on Friday, taking losses for the week to 2.4%

Sellers drove the market lower in early trade, although miners attracted some buying in the early afternoon which saw the ASX200 close off the worst levels of the day.

Sellers have pressed their claims in early trade on Monday focusing attention on the mining sector. Commodity prices have eased thanks to a rising US dollar, whilst weaker Chinese trade data at the weekend have a cast a pall over the price of iron ore.

Minus a lead from Wall St overnight the local market closed softer Friday with the S&P/ASX200 index off 14.3 points, or 0.27%, at 5,320.0, while the broader All Ords index was down 12.3 points, or 0.23%, to 5,314.3.

Groundhog day with more records overnight on Wall St, the local market unable to hold onto the highs of the session, more economic data surprising to the upside and more developments in the Victorian cheese war.

After a fairly meek lead out of Wall St the local market has closed softer today with the benchmark ASX200 index down 25.7 points, or 0.48%, at 5,324.9. The wider All Ords index was down 24.1 points, or 0.45%, at 5,332.9.

After the Dow closed above 16,000 for the third day straight the local market followed suit today closing slightly higher, helped by gains by the big four banks.