ASX almost unchanged; Perpetual, Cimic up while Flight Centre falls

The S&P/ASX 200 index finished up 1.7 points at 7415.4 after ranging between 7403.7 and 7446.7. It was capped near Wednesday's high, ending a 5-day run of higher peaks.

ASX stocks investors are responding to quarterly updates. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Thursday, October 21. ASX stocks finished up just 1.7 points at 7415.4 in mixed trade amid updates, AGM commentary and production reports from a range of companies, and some slippage in offshore markets.

ASX 200 finished up 1.7 points at 7415.4 after ranging between 7403.7 and 7446.7.

Gains in the Real Estate, IT, Financials, Utilities and Communications sectors were offset by falls in Energy, Staples, Health Care, Discretionary, Industrials and Materials.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.4 per cent higher after briefly touching a record high and the S&P 500 climbed 0.4 per cent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite  fell 0.1 per cent.

Overseas, Elon Musk’s Tesla third-quarter profits more than quadrupled.

Iron ore rose 0.8 per cent to $US124.45 per tonne.

The US Nymex  (WTI) crude price gained 1.1 per cent to 7-year highs of $US83.87 a barrel.  

Originally published as ASX almost unchanged; Perpetual, Cimic up while Flight Centre falls