Daytrading December 23 afternoon

Thanks Oscar and morning crew.


Half-time round-up:

Shares touched a fresh 16-month high this morning before succumbing to mild profit-taking ahead of the Christmas shutdown.  

At 1pm EST the ASX 200 was 18 points or 0.2% weaker at 5626 after earlier brushing 5650, the index's highest level since last August. Modest gains in energy +0.8%, industrials +0.3% and utilities +0.3% were outweighed by falls in metals & mining -1.6%, materials -1.2%, telecoms -0.8% and consumer staples -0.7%, pushing the index towards its first loss in five sessions.

China's Shanghai Composite declined 0.39% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng 0.46%. Japan's Nikkei was closed for the Emperor's birthday. Dow futures were recently six points or 0.03% ahead.

Crude oil futures dipped 33 cents or 0.62% this morning to US$52.62 a barrel. Gold futures were $1 or 0.1% firmer at US$1,131.70 an ounce. The dollar was buying 72.17 US cents.


A reminder that the market closes at 2.10 EST this afternoon (including closing auction). Trading: about all I can say is a I turned up, I paid attention, I did not find a trade. So it goes. Merry Christmas to the last few stalwarts still here - see you on the other side.