ASX lower; Blackmores plunges 10pc; IPH soars on acquisition; coal miners up

ASX ends winning streak as Blackmores dives on results. MACA rejects NRW bid, IPH surges on Canadian play, Solomon Lew pushes for Myer seat and Xero dives on results.

A number of global economic updates and local earnings is keeping equity investors and markets busy. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Thursday, August 18. The Australian share market ends a three-day winning streak as investors digest a mixed session of company earnings. 

The S&P/ASX 200 closed down by 0.2 per cent, or 14.88 points to 7112.80.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index closed 0.5 per cent lower, the S&P 500 index lost 0.7 per cent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq index lost 1.3 per cent.

Oil prices are higher with the Brent crude rising 1.4 per cent to $US93.65 per barrel and the US Nymex crude price up 1.8 per cent to $US88.11 per barrel.

Iron ore futures fell 1.9 per cent to $US104.59 per tonne.

The Aussie dollar was near US69.21c at the local close.