daytrades july 16 afternoon

Thanks Tweets. Half-time round-up:

Australian shares followed key regional markets lower this morning in a lacklustre end to a solid week.

At lunchtime the ASX 200 was off 10 points or 0.23% at 4432 and on target for a second day of mild losses. Resource sectors were hardest hit, with gold down 1.1%, metals & mining off 0.7% and materials -0.6%.

"The market is dry as a bone at the moment, in terms of volumes and turnover, so it makes gaining some momentum or any sort of confidence in the market quite difficult," CMC Markets analyst David Taylor told Fairfax websites. "The market is still concerned about the economic situation in the US and I think, when you add the changes to the financial regulatory system in the US last night and manufacturing data as well, it doesn't create the most inspiring environment (in which) to be trading."

Asian markets were mixed but the big three were all lower. Japan's Nikkei was off 1.6% as a strengthening yen hurt exporters, Shanghai was recently down 1.1% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng off 0.1%. Dow futures were recently at -10.

Crude oil futures slid 17 cents this morning to $76.71 a barrel. The spot gold price was 90 cents stronger at $1,209.40 an ounce. The Aussie dollar was weaker against the major currencies, buying 0.8782 U.S. cents, off 0.6%.


I'm starting to feel like a Jonah. The market was on its knees when I took a break, rallied when I left and has been sliding since my return. It might be cheaper for you all to have a whip-round and buy me out.

Jagged a day's wage in the first half-hour on bounces in CAP and CNX. Short of ideas since then but added OST on pullback for an intraday recovery that is slowly taking shape. Sluggish day all round.