ASX 200 climbs; bolstered by financial stocks and Brambles; Betmakers soars on News Corp deal; BHP drops after update
ASX rose 0.3 per cent, led by financial stocks including Challenger and CBA, plus Brambles. Betmakers soars after striking deal with News Corp. Ramsay extends gains on $20bn bid. BHP dumped after update.
Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Thursday, April 21. ASX finished up 0.3 per cent, setting a new 100 day high. Challenger and Brambles jump after lifting profit guidance. Ramsay extends gains on $20bn bid. BetMakers soars on News Corp deal. BHP dropped despite output lift.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.3 per cent higher at 7592.8, setting a new 100-day high.
Investors piled into financial stocks including Challenger, CBA and Macquarie Group, plus pallet giant Brambles and property group Lendlease.
In the US, stocks finished the session mixed with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.7 per cent while the S&P 500 dipped 0.1 per cent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.2 per cent, weighed down by a sell-off in Netflix shares.
Among commodities, global oil prices were mixed as traders continue to assess the impact from the Ukraine war. Brent crude price fell 0.4 per cent to US$106.80 a barrel, while the US Nymex crude price rose 0.2 per cent to US$102.75 a barrel.
Iron ore, meanwhile, added just 0.1 per cent to $US153.57 a tonne.
ASX to waver; CBA profit beats estimates
CBA to pay bigger dividend than expected as over-valuation concerns remain. Earnings also from AGL, Suncorp and Computershare. US shares mixed after US Fed chair says no rush on rate cuts. Oil on the boil; gold nears $US3000 per ounce.
ASX ends flat with CSL the main drag
The local share market closed flat as CSL dives after its results, Macquarie jumps on its trading update, gold miners up as gold hit a record, SGH soars on strong results, Nine, Seven West Media up on positive signs for advertising. Australian carveout on Trump tariffs 'under consideration'.