Good morning traders. Thanks @ttward, @Ravgnome & the aftermarket loungers. A bit of a shorter one without the US markets to chat about, it will only take you 80 minutes to reach the bottom of this one.

ASX Market Report

The Australian sharemarket has finished higher amid optimism for a deal on the US-China trade war and a spike in the price of oil.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 23.7 points, or 0.39 per cent, at 6,089.8 points at 1615 AEDT on Monday, while the broader All Ordinaries was up 22.1 points, or 0.36 per cent, at 6,170.7.

"It's been a pretty solid start to the new week," said CommSec market analyst James Tao, who cited optimism over the US-China trade talks, which resume in Washington this week.

A rise in the price of oil, of over 2 per cent to nearly $US56 also helped the energy sector, which led gains.

Santos, Beach Energy, Origin Energy and Woodside Petroleum closed up between 1.19 per cent and 3.18 per cent.

The big four banks were flat while the Bank of Queensland dropped 6.33 per cent after saying it expected its earnings for the half-year to drop between 6 and 9 per cent.

Mining giant BHP added 1.45 per cent while Rio Tinto rose 1.42 per cent and Fortescue Metals was up 1.59 per cent.

Higher gold prices provided a boost for Newcrest Mining, up 0.76 per cent, and Evolution Mining, which was up 0.8 per cent.

Shares in rubbish collector Bingo plummeted almost 50 per cent after it blamed slowing construction activity for missing its forecasts.

Adelaide-based biopharmaceutical company Bionomics shot up more than 54 per cent, meanwhile, after it reported promising results from an early trial of its drug candidate to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Healthcare giant CSL was up 1.1 per cent.

Shares in protective gloves manufacturer Ansell were up 4.09 per cent as it lifted its full-year earnings guidance despite a 91 per cent drop in first-half net profit.

Logistics company Brambles was down 1.51 per cent after reporting a 27 per cent dip in first-half profit.

Online comparison website owner iSelect was down 1.25 per cent after announcing a $6.9 million first-half loss.

Nib was down 2.41 per cent after the health insurer said it expected a weaker second half.

The Aussie dollar climbed higher throughout the day, reaching 71.50 US cents at 1615 AEDT, from 70.92 US cents on Friday.

ON THE ASX:

* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 23.7 points, or 0.39 per cent, at 6,089.8 points at 1630 AEDT on Monday.

* The All Ordinaries was up 22.1 points, or 0.36 per cent, at 6,170.7.

* At 1630 AEDT, the SPI200 futures index was down 1 point, or 0.02 per cent, at 6051.

CURRENCY SNAPSHOT AT 1630 AEDT:

One Australian dollar buys:

* 71.50 US cents, from 70.92 US on Friday

* 79.04 Japanese yen, from 78.27

* 63.21 euro cents, from 62.84

* 55.37 British pence, from 55.38

* 103.87 NZ cents, from 103.89

GOLD:

The spot price of gold in Sydney at 1630 AEDT was $US1323.49 per fine ounce, from $US1320.93 on Friday.

In Asia

Asian share markets bounced broadly on Monday as investors dared to hope for both progress at Sino-U.S. trade talks in Washington this week and more policy stimulus from major central banks.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.9 percent, largely recovering from a sharp fall last Friday.

Japan’s Nikkei climbed 1.8 percent to its highest level of the year so far, while Shanghai blue chips rallied 2.1 percent.

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In Europe

European stocks hovered around their highest level in four months on Monday as hopes of progress in U.S.-China trade talks kept sentiment afloat while Wall Street was closed for a bank holiday.

The STOXX 600 closed up 0.2 percent, steadying at its highest level since Oct 10.

French car parts maker Faurecia climbed 1.3 percent after saying it hoped to outperform the market this year and reported margin expansion, though it warned of negative auto production growth in general.

Leading the market, Wirecard shares jumped 15.2 percent after German market regulator BaFin banned the establishment or increase of short positions in the stock.

The bank index inched up 0.4 percent, having risen sharply on Friday after European Central Bank board member Benoit Coeure said a new round of cheap multi-year loans to banks was possible.

That big reaction showed how desperate equity investors are for central banks to do something to help, Ian Williams, strategist at Peel Hunt said.

Overall analysts have been increasingly downbeat about earnings potential in Europe and globally as macroeconomic data continued to disappoint.

“Looking at where global risks are, it seems the euro zone is more dangerous than China or the US in terms of what you should be worrying about. It’s been where macro surprises have been more dramatic,” said Peel Hunt’s Williams.

Analysts have slashed their estimates for 2019 earnings growth for MSCI Europe from 9.5 percent in early November to 6.5 percent now.

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In the United States

Not much happens when they are closed obviously. I did find this most American of photos, though that probably doesn’t constitute market news.

Upcoming Earnings Reports

Via Comsec

Australian News

Australia’s small business owners will finally find it easier to take big corporations to court for abusing their market power. New legislation, passed by Federal Parliament, means small business owners can make a request to court - early in a court challenge - to avoid paying the legal costs of their much larger competitors if they lose court action against them. 
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The corporate regulator is appealing a test case it lost against Westpac over the advice given to customers during a campaign encouraging them to roll over their superannuation accounts. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has filed an appeal over a case that has wider implications for the wealth management industry because it centres on the distinction between personal and general financial advice. 
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Australia's biggest companies are ignoring calls from regulators and investors to do more to mitigate the risks of climate change, with a new study finding that many of the nation's top 100 companies still do not identify climate change as a material business risk. 
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The federal Department of Energy is the latest stakeholder to suggest it was kept in the dark prior to the announcement of the government's controversial proposed policy that would allow it to break up energy companies that abused their market power. During Senate hearings on Monday, Senator Kristina Keneally asked officials if the Department of Energy had a role in formulating the government's forced divestment bill, which was led by the Treasury. 
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Global News

The US-led offensive against Chinese tech firm Huawei is creating big problems for mobile operators as they start building the next generation of wireless networks. The United States is trying to persuade other countries not to allow Huawei equipment into new superfast 5G networks because it claims the gear could be used by the Chinese government for spying. 
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After a tough 2018, global automakers look set for another bruising year. Data published Monday show that the slowdown in China, the world's biggest car market, is getting worse. And the United States is considering imposing tariffs on imported cars, a move that would hit global brands hard. 
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Facebook says its algorithms help counter echo chamber. A global Facebook executive in charge of the tech giant's policies governing the algorithms that choose the news and content its users see in its news feed believes the social media platform is helping to dismantle so-called "filter bubbles" rather than create them. Facebook uses personalised algorithms to determine which posts from friends and liked groups shows up in a user’s newsfeed, with constant changes being made on the basis of what posts people interact with and how they use the social media site. 
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UK lawmakers: Facebook 'intentionally and knowingly' violated data privacy laws 
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Japanese carmaker Honda is set to announce the closure of its only British car plant in 2022 with the loss of 3,500 jobs, a lawmaker told Reuters, in the latest blow to the UK car industry as Brexit approaches. 
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Tobacco giants Philip Morris and British American Tobacco have formed partnerships with their scientific research subsidiaries and Formula 1 teams Ferrari and McLaren more than a decade after cigarette advertising was banned from the sport. 
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Howard Schultz must sell his Starbucks shares if he runs for president 
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UK spies think they can handle Huawei in 5G networks. The US doesn't agree 
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It's complicated, says Britain's MI6 spymaster on Huawei 5G issue. Britain should avoid relying on a monopoly provider of equipment in new 5G mobile networks, but there are no easy answers to concerns about using Chinese supplier Huawei, the chief of Britain's foreign intelligence service said on Friday. 
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In two short sentences, Flybmi's announcement that it had collapsed summed up the airline industry's woes: fuel costs, green taxes, Brexit uncertainty, falling passenger numbers.It might have added fierce competition, but that is probably a statement of the obvious. Several European airlines have folded or hit financial trouble during the past two years. Britain's Monarch collapsed in October 2017, while Germany's Germania filed for insolvency earlier this month. 
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Royal Dutch Shell is making a bet on home battery storage as it tries to boost its sustainable energy business. The oil giant announced Friday that it has purchased Sonnen, a German startup that makes residential battery systems that store energy generated from solar panels. 
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Germany bans Wirecard 'shorting' as prosecutors probe FT journalist 
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Russia’s Rusal, the world’s second-largest aluminum producer, is in talks to resume reinsuring its risks with Western companies after Washington lifted sanctions on it, officials with Russian National Reinsurance Co (RNRC) said. 
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Stock News

Global Energy Ventures Ltd (ASX:GEV) has gained a new substantial shareholder in Sydney-based Regal Funds Management which has accumulated more than 25 million shares representing a 6.97% holding. Initial substantial shareholder status was reached on February 13, 2019, when Regal acquired 10 million shares valued at $1.5 million. 
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Black Cat Syndicate delivers maiden 109,000-ounce resource at Bulong Gold Project 
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Monadelphous wins $108 million BHP South Flank engineering contract 
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Nexus Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXM) has been granted a trading halt by the ASX with an announcement regarding details of a proposed capital raising imminent. This halt will remain in place until the start of normal trading on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, or when an announcement is released to the market, whichever occurs earliest. 
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Latin Resources Ltd (ASX:LRS) has extended the close date for its share purchase plan(SPP) by one week to Thursday February 28, 2019. The company will receive applications from shareholders and the extension will ensure all eligible shareholders have ample time to submit their applications. 
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Capricorn Metals appoints Warren Hallam as managing director and CEO. Hallam is a metallurgist by qualification and has held leadership roles in Metals X, Metals Exploration and now-BHP subsidiary WMC Limited. 
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Shares in global logistics company Brambles have slipped after it reported a 27 per cent dip in first half profit to $US319.8 million ($A448.26 million) on higher fuel, transport and Brexit-proofing costs, and the absence of a $US103 million tax benefit from a year ago. 
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Online comparison website owner iSelect has recorded a $6.9 million first-half loss, lower than its previous loss of $1.5 million, as its CEO spoke of the business undergoing a financial reset. 
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Supermarket giant Woolworths has announced it will axe $1-a-litre milk sales and put extra money back into the pockets of Australia’s struggling dairy farmers. It will start changing the price of its cheap milk nationwide from tomorrow. 
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Ansell lifts guidance despite profit dive 
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Covata Ltd (ASX:CVT) has received commitments for subscriptions totalling $1.4 million of convertible notes to sophisticated investors. The notes are convertible to ordinary shares at 1.8 cents per share and Covata expects to issue the notes in the coming days. 
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McGrath says it lost $9.6 million for the six months that concluded December 31, in part because of a bungled information technology project. Still, chief executive Geoff Lucas says the real estate company is well-position to survive the market downturn. 
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Garbage handler Bingo Industries says it has missed its forecasts for first-half building-waste growth due to slowing construction activity, joining a host of firms feeling the pinch of a property market downturn. 
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BoQ shares dip on $12m guidance downgrade 
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A relatively healthy trading update from Westpac Banking Corp released on the same day Bank of Queensland issued a profit warning has underscored analyst predictions that the tough banking environment is weighing hardest on the industry's smaller players. Westpac's trading update showed it had notched up $2.04 billion in cash earnings during the last quarter of 2018 on the back of wider profit margins representing a 6.8 per cent quarterly increase in unaudited cash earnings. 
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Wealth manager AMP says proposed new laws aimed at protecting investors' retirement savings will hit its earnings by about $30 million per year, sending its shares to an all time low on Monday. 
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Australia's fast-growing "subscription economy" is among the key markets being targeted by fintech firm GoCardless, which has secured more than $100 million to fund its global expansion plans. GoCardless, based in London, on Monday said it had raised $US75 million ($106 million) from investors including Google's venture capital arm, to roll out a global direct debit payment collection system, which it offers to business clients. 
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