Local shares dipped in and out of positive territory this morning as BHP sank for a second day and investors digested a mixed bag of earnings results.
At lunchtime the ASX 200 was down 8 points or 0.2% at 4466 as losses among the big banks and miners outweighed gains elsewhere. A 1% fall in BHP shares dragged the metals & mining sector down 0.4% and the financial sector was off 0.6%.
The earnings season remained choppy, with gains for companies reporting this morning including BXB, CLO, QBE, ABC, CMW, SDM and MRM balanced by losses in DOW, AMP, GMG, HGG, WES and ASX.
The ASX this morning announced plans to launch a volatility index or "fear gauge" similar to the VIX in the U.S. The Australian version will use a mix of 30-day call and put options to assess expectations for the next 30 days.
Asian markets strengthened this morning. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.03%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng 0.36% and Shanghai 0.05%. Dow futures were recently at +2.
Crude oil futures were unchanged this morning at $75.32 a barrel. The spot gold price was $1.40 weaker at $1,228.10 an ounce. The Aussie dollar was buying 89.55 U.S. cents.
A low-key morning here after a hectic session yesterday. Been trading the swings in a certain litigious copper company. Yesterday's trade in RHC also came good. Feeling a bit off-colour today, so I'm taking it easy. (My wife was complaining about a bug yesterday, which I naturally dismissed as the fevered ravings of the fairer sex. However, now that I have it myself, it has become apparent to me that this bug may be the greatest health threat this nation has ever faced. Write to your MP and demand action. It may be too late for me but we can still save the children.)
