Markets

The Australian market came under pressure early in trade after the late slide on US markets overnight.The energy sector came under pressure early in trade after news realised overnight that the Australian Government plans to restrict gas exports

US sharemarkets pared gains on Wednesday to end slightly lower after investors mulled the Trump Administration tax plan and awaited more detail on the proposals.

The ASX 200 has closed up 0.16% after the big banks led an afternoon revival. Markets had started weaker after an underwhelming tax plan by the Trump administration and results from Ten network and Wesfarmers.

The ASX 200 is up 0.8% – boosted by optimism on US tax reforms ahead of an expected announcement tonight Australian time.

US sharemarkets posted solid gains for a second day. Earnings data encouraged investors. Shares in McDonalds rose by 5.6% with shares in Caterpillar up 7.9% in response to better-than-expected earnings.

The ASX 200 has closed up 0.7%, boosted by strong gains from the banks, telcos & healthcare stocks. Investors are awaiting an announcement tonight by US President Trump on expected tax reforms.

Global markets have reacted positively to the first-round of the French Presidential election, giving a boost to the local market. The ASX 200 is up 0.2%.

US markets closed weaker on Friday. Initial reaction to round 1 of French election boosted the Euro.

The ASX 200 has closed up 0.3%, boosted by a positive reaction to the first round of the French Presidential elections. Banks & energy stocks helped to lift the market, while the materials sector edged lower.

The local sharemarket is extending yesterday’s gains with the Utilities, Materials and Financial sectors logging strong improvements.

I recorded a long, fascinating interview this week with Richard Baldwin, professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and author of new book called “The Great Convergence: information technology and the new globalisation”.

US sharemarkets rallied on Thursday with the Nasdaq closing at a record high. Better-than-expected earnings results supported sentiment. American express rose 5.9% and was the biggest mover on the Dow Jones, after reporting a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit.

The ASX 200 has closed up 0.6% on Friday boosted by the financial and materials sectors. Over the week though, the benchmark index slipped 0.5%.

The local share market is climbing higher, regaining some recent losses after a three-session slump. The ASX 200 is up 14 points or 0.3%, with banks & telcos doing the heavy lifting.

US sharemarkets were mostly weaker on Wednesday, although the tech heavy Nasdaq managed to post modest gains. The drop in oil prices weighed on the energy sector which lost 1.4%.

The local share market has firmed on Thursday, ending a three-session slump. The ASX 200 gained 17 points or 0.3%, boosted by a further recovery in the telco sector and gains from the financials.

The ASX 200 is down about 0.5% at mid-session, adding to yesterday’s 0.9% decline. The energy sector is the biggest loser, while banks and miners are also holding the market back.

The UK FTSE fell by 2.5% after Prime Minister Teresa May called a general election for June 8.

While the local share market has finished off the day’s lows, the market has now declined for a third straight session. The ASX 200 slipped 0.5%, weighed down by falls from the financial and energy stocks.

US sharemarkets closed firmer on Monday as traders switched focus from geopolitical concerns to earnings results. The Dow Jones index rose by 184 points or 0.9%. The S&P 500 index rose by 0.9% while the Nasdaq gained almost 52 points or 0.9%.

US sharemarkets closed firmer on Monday as traders switched focus from geopolitical concerns to earnings results. The Dow Jones index rose by 184 points or 0.9%. The S&P 500 index rose by 0.9% while the Nasdaq gained almost 52 points or 0.9%.

The ASX 200 slipped 0.9% on Tuesday amid geopolitical tensions and falling iron ore prices. The Telco sector was the worst performer, dropping 4.3%.

US sharemarkets closed weaker on Wednesday. In late trade US President Trump said he hadn’t yet decided on whether to re-appoint Federal Reserve chair, Janet Yellen, to a second term.

Local shares fell for the first time in five days with a slump in mining stocks the main drag. Three times as many jobs as expected were added in March, thanks to a lift in full-time employment.

The Australian sharemarket is coming under pressure after four days of gains. Mining stocks are the main drags on a sliding iron ore price and a quarterly update from Fortescue Metals. Jobs data beat expectations with 60,900 jobs added in March.

Early gains were neutralised for the ASX 200 as Telstra fell more than 6% on news that TPG is set to build out its own mobile network have bought spectrum a recent auction. Geopolitic remains front of mind for investors pushing gold prices higher.

US sharemarkets closed weaker on Tuesday, despite bouncing off session lows. Earlier in the session the Dow Jones was down around 145 points as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and North Korea dominated sentiment

A staunch exchange between the US and North Korea kept markets focussed on geopolitical matters today. Telstra slumped to its lowest levels since 2012 on the spectre of increased competition.

US sharemarkets rose modestly in a choppy session on Monday as gains in energy stocks offset a fall in financials. The higher oil price resulted in the S&P energy index rising 1.1%.

The Australian market faded from intraday highs but still managed to rise by 0.3%. The ASX 200 index is less than 1% away from 6000; a level not breached since early 2008.

The Australian sharemarket continues to rally and is closing in on 6,000pts; a level the ASX 200 has not traded above since February 2008. Banks are helping most while BHP Billiton is the main drag.

The ASX 200 saw modest gains built on over the course of the session to end with a gain of 50 points. Banks shrugged off soft lending numbers; BHP saw a surge of 4.6% as an activist invest set forth a plan to unlock shareholder value.

Friday in a choppy session as investors grappled with a weaker-than-expected job report, the US airstrike in Syria and a top Federal Reserve official’s comments on trimming the US central bank’s balance sheet."

The local share market has started the week on a positive note as investors shrug off a weak lead from global markets. The ASX 200 has climbed 0.6% towards lunch.

The local share market is losing early gains, with investors cautious following news the US has launched airstrikes against a Syrian airfield. The ASX 200 is down 0.2%.

US sharemarkets lost ground during the afternoon session on Thursday. Investors await the meeting between US and Chinese leaders as well as the latest job data on Friday.

The local share market has managed to finish firmer, despite spending most of the afternoon in the red. Investors were cautious following news the US had launched missile strikes against Syria.

The ASX 200 is down 0.5% at mid-session, held back by falls from the banks and telcos.