Afternoon trading February 24

Thanks @shovel40, @Fiji1, @uncleBuck and morning crew.

Half-time wrap:

The share market skidded to a six-week low before paring its loss significantly as buyers stepped up after six days of falls.

The ASX 200 slashed an opening plunge of 80 points to 12 points or 0.14% by mid-session. The index bottomed out at a level last seen on January 15.

Tech stocks accounted for much of the weakness as the mass resignation of WiseTech's independent directors triggered a 23.24% collapse in the firm's share price. Also dragging: Iress and Block following poorly-received trading updates.

More than two-thirds of the ASX 200 rallied. Notable gainers included CBA, ANZ and Woolworths. NIB, EVT Ltd and APA Group all rose after reporting.

This morning's initial weakness followed a rough end to the week on Wall Street as a slew of weak economic data sharpened questions about the near-term outlook. The S&P 500 dived 1.71%.


Personal trading: Solid. Caught some of the rebounds in XRO and CAT. Rode a fleeting up-tick in WTC that didn't develop into anything really worthwhile. Also took OCC near the low.