Half-time wrap:
Energy and gold stocks set the pace as the Australian share market shrugged off negative signals from US equity futures following violence in the Middle East across the weekend.
The ASX 200 gained 34 points or 0.5% by mid-session. Advances in gold miners, energy producers and healthcare providers outweighed losses among supermarkets, property stocks and industrials.
Gold miners De Grey, Evolution Mining and West African Resources topped the index with gains of between 6.39 and 8.52%. Newcrest, Woodside and Santos were the pick of the heavyweights.
Hopes for a stronger rise following US gains on Friday were dented by a bloody weekend in Israel and the Gaza Strip. A classic "flight to safety" saw precious metals, crude and the US dollar rally this morning, while US equity futures declined. Gold futures were lately up almost 1%. Brent crude jumped 4.3%.
S&P 500 futures slumped 0.74%. Today's surge in energy prices adds to inflationary pressures, sharpening the risk of further interest rate increases.
Personal trading: Geez, Mondays have gotten harder. The retraces tend to be deeper and bounces less reliable. Had time to reflect on all that since taking RDN and several others on retrace. None have come good so far. Ultimately bailed on RDN for brokerage. Everything else is flat. Shoulda taken WC8 instead.
