Thanks Endless and all who chipped on the Iress problem this morning.
Half-time round-up:
Shares drifted lower this morning as gains in resource stocks were trumped by falls across the broader market on overnight weakness on Wall Street.
At lunchtime the ASX 200 was 22 points or 0.4% in the red at 5286 and on track to end a choppy week marginally lower for a second straight weekly loss. Gains in metals & mining +1.5%, materials +1.3%, gold +0.8% and IT +0.3% were countered by declines in consumer discretionary -2%, financials -1.1%, property trusts -0.7% and industrials -0.5%.
The mood on Asian markets was similarly subdued, with China's Shanghai Composite dipping 0.8%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng 0.38% and Japan's Nikkei 0.8%. Dow futures were recently up 11 points or less than 0.1%.
Crude oil futures retreated nine cents this morning to US$94.02 a barrel. Spot gold was $1.60 firmer at US$1,243.50 an ounce. The dollar was buying 88.26 US cents.
Dogged by tech problems this morning. HC running slow as well? Trading is a confidence game and to perform well you need to be in a "John Howard" mindset - relaxed and comfortable. Nothing like tech problems to upset that equilibrium. SUL would have been a goodie this morning if I had been ready. Tried a speculator in AYR but bailed for brokerage when it stalled. Also bailed on VXL for brokerage when it failed to sustain early gains. Desultory end to a solid week.
