ASX200 edges closer to regaining 6,000 points amid choppy trade

The ASX200 has edged closer to the 6,000 point mark in choppy trade, despite mining and energy stocks dragging on the bourse.

The information boards at the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in Sydney. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)

The local sharemarket finished the session flat as miners attracted profit taking and amid modest support for utilities, following a neutral lead from Wall Street.

At the close of trade, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 was up 6.25 points or 0.10 per cent at 5988.8 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index has risen 7.25 points or 0.12 per cent, to 6070.4 points.

CMC Markets chief market analyst Ric Spooner said support for industrials and utilities was offset by profit taking in energy and mining stocks.

“The market has had really no lead from the US markets which have been in neutral over the Thanksgiving period,” he said.

“Today we’re seeing some support for utilities, healthcare stocks and industrials being offset by a bit of profit taking in energy which has had a good run in recent times and also in the mining stocks which have also had reasonably good support attracting a bit of profit taking.”

Mining giants BHP lost 0.07 per cent to $27.95 while Rio Tinto edged down 0.01 per cent to $72.09.

Santos weakened 0.79 per cent to $5.09 and Woodside Petroleum gave up 0.19 per cent to $31.46. Origin Energy backtracked 0.12 per cent to $8.59.

In financials, NAB ticked 0.27 per cent higher to $29.64, Commonwealth Bank shed 0.09 per cent to $80.50, Westpac edged 0.03 per cent higher to $31.52 and ANZ inched down 0.07 per cent to $28.86.

Investment bank Macquarie Group closed at a record closing high, up 0.87 per cent to $100.20 at the close.

CSL also sealed a record high, lifting0.54 per cent to $147.35.

Engineering group Dower EDI shot up 5.05 per cent to $7.07 after it upgraded its full-year profit guidance to $195 million from $190m.

Telstra dropped 0.57 per cent to $3.46 after the company said it will reassess its 2018 outlook after NBN Co warned its revenue will be set back by potential rollout delays and as it halted copper-hybrid household connections.

Coca-Cola Amatil gained 1.05 per cent to $7.72 after an upgrade by analysts at Citibank, who expect the company’s earnings and growth potential in the region to stabilise and revenue to grow in the 2018 financial year.

Woolworths lost 0.15 per cent to $26.27 despite Deutsche Bank analysts saying its resurgence would continue and that the supermarket continues to pinch customers from Coles, Aldi and IGA. Wesfarmers fell 0.19 per cent to $43.13 and Metcash drooped 0.72 per cent to $2.74.

The Australian dollar was trading at US76.03 cents in late trade.