Thanks @shovel40, @Fiji1 and morning crew.
Half-time wrap:
Australian shares struggled once again to retain early gains after evidence of deflation in China sharpened worries about faltering global demand.
The ASX 200 inched up six points or less than 0.1% by mid-session. A well-received trading update from Commonwealth Bank helped keep the index in the black. Shares in the nation's largest bank firmed 2.4% after it reported a record $10.2 billion profit.
The speculative end of the market fared worse, with the Emerging Companies index sliding nearly 1.2% to to a five-week low. Other pockets of weakness included healthcare, property and mining as the ASX 200 remained stuck in the sideways trading pattern that has developed since last Thursday's smackdown.
China's economic struggles continued with the first contraction in consumer and producer prices since 2020. The consumer price index was 0.3% lower last month than the same month last year. Producer prices fell for a 10th straight month, down 4.4% year-on-year.
Personal trading: Needed a good session after two days of sludge. Got it though scalps in AUT, AUR and PNR. Exited PCL for brokerage too soon when more patience would have paid off. Gave up on NSR and booked a small loss. Watching ARV for an entry.
