Markets

The ASX 200 traded through a volatile session to gain 13pts. Miners and banks remained out of favour with buyers.

The Australian sharemarket has had a shaky start to winter, with the ASX 200 index down 0.1 per cent at lunch after posting its biggest losses in 16 months in May.

The Australian sharemarket is holding onto modest gains at lunch on Wednesday in what has been a difficult month for local equities. Although banks are up today, they have been the main drag on the broader market since news of the Bank Levy.

US sharemarkets eased on Tuesday with energy and financial stocks leading the declines. Gains in personal income and spending boosted some consumer stocks. The Dow Jones fell by almost 51 points.

While shares rose on Wednesday, May was the worst month for the Australian sharemarket since January 2016. Falls from the banks held the market back most while Qantas (QAN) and Fairfax (FXJ) were standouts.

The ASX 200 is down 0.4% at mid-session, with almost all sectors trading weaker. Consumer Staples and Energy stocks have been the hardest hit, with those sectors down about 0.8%.

European sharemarkets were mixed on Monday in quiet trade with China, the US and UK markets closed for holidays.

The local share market has managed to finish the session in the black, helped by gains from the banks & miners. The ASX 200 rose 10 points or 0.2% to 5,717.

US sharemarkets ended flat on Friday. Shares in Costco Warehouse rose 1.8% after reporting earnings results. Trading volumes were the lightest of the year ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. The Dow Jones fell by almost 3 points.

The ASX 200 has finished a choppy session down 44 points or 0.8% to 5,707 – held down by heavy falls from the banks.

It has been a lacklustre start to the week for the Australian share market with losses in the financial sector weighing on the benchmark ASX 200 index.

US sharemarkets posted firm gains on Thursday. While the energy sector weakened with a drop in the oil price, a number of retail stocks rallied in response to encouraging sales figures.

The local share market has lost yesterday’s gains, following heavy falls in the energy sector. The ASX 200 lost 0.7% on Friday. However, it managed to gain 0.4% over the week.

The local share market is under pressure on Friday, as energy stocks suffer large losses. Investors are disappointed with an OPEC deal overnight to extend production cuts only by another nine months.

US sharemarkets rose on Wednesday following the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting. However the retail sector issued more results that were disappointing.

The ASX 200 has closed up 0.4%, helped by a rally in energy stocks ahead of tonight’s OPEC meeting in Vienna.

Gains from energy, utilities and resource stocks are outweighing losses from the telcos, consumer staples and financial stocks. The ASX 200 is up 0.2% to 5,781.

US sharemarkets rose on Tuesday as traders assessed White House budget proposals. The budget plan was largely as expected, including measures to increase infrastructure and military spending and cut government spending by $3.6 trillion over a period.

The ASX 200 has managed to close in the black, helped by gains from Consumer Staples and Telco stocks. The materials sector was a drag on the market.

The ASX 200 is up 0.1% at mid-session, helped by gains in the Industrials, IT, Consumer Staples and Healthcare sectors. Losses from utilities and mining stocks are holding the market back.

The ASX 200 is fairly flat at mid-session, with losses from the banks, energy and materials sectors offset by gains from consumer discretionary, healthcare and IT stocks.

US sharemarkets rose on Monday. Defence stocks were amongst the top gainers after President Trump signed US$110 billion in deals for Saudi Arabia to buy arms from the US with options to buy up to $350 billion in equipment over 10 years.

The ASX 200 has slipped 0.2%, closing near the day’s low. The market was dragged lower by losses from the financial and resource stocks.

The ASX 200 is up 0.7% – regaining some of last week’s 1.9% loss thanks to strong gains from the Materials and Energy sectors.

US sharemarkets rose on Friday but ended off session highs as traders focussed on political problems faced by President Trump.

The local share market has recovered about half of last week’s losses, with the ASX 200 rising 0.8%. Mining & energy stocks outperformed, while healthcare stocks were under pressure.

The local share market is down 0.5% – extending recent losses. The ASX 200 is on track to record its worst weekly performance since October, amid heightened US political uncertainty.

US sharemarkets rebounded on Thursday as upbeat economic data supported investor sentiment. Bargain hunters moved in after the biggest sell-off in eight months in the prior session.

The local share market has dropped 1.9% over the week, its biggest five-day loss since early November. The ASX 200 today slipped 10 points or 0.2% to 5,727.

There has been a lot of stuff written about Amazon this week because Monday was the 20th anniversary of its listing on Nasdaq, mostly focusing on the 63,990% increase in its share price over those 20 years.

The local share market is down 1.3% at mid-session, following heavy losses on US and European markets overnight amid heightened political uncertainty in the US. The financial sector is down 1.8% as Westpac trades ex-dividend.

US sharemarkets slumped in line with European and Asian markets on Wednesday. Investors fret that rising political uncertainty could serve to delay the economic plans of the US President, especially the plans to cut taxes and increase infrastructure.

The local share market has managed to recover some earlier losses, helped by better than expected April employment data. The ASX 200 slipped 47 points or 0.8% to 5,738.

US sharemarkets was mixed on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 easing from recent record highs. Technology stocks offset some of the losses. Microsoft rose by 1.7% and provided the biggest boost to the S&P technology sector (+0.4%).

Losses in the financial sector weighed on the market today with the ASX 200 sinking 1.1% or 64 points to 5,780. The materials sector outperformed, rising by 0.6%. SHOW MORE

The local share market is down 0.8%, with almost all sectors trading weaker. Miners and real estate stocks are the only bright spots on the market.

The local share market is up 0.2%, helped by a positive lead from US markets and gains from resource and industrial stocks. Banks are weaker as the NAB & Macquarie Group trade ex-dividend.

US sharemarkets rallied on Monday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both hitting fresh record highs. The global cyber-attack boosted technology stocks, while the rise in the oil price drove the resource sector higher.