Thanks Oscar for this morning and TB for the pre-market.
Half-time round-up:
The ASX deepened its loss for the week as global markets remained wary ahead of a likely US rate hike tonight.
At 1pm EST the ASX 200 was 20 points or 0.35% weaker at 5739 as the downward bias this week continued. Declines in gold stocks -1.8%, consumer staples -1.1% and financials -0.6% outweighed rises in metals & mining +0.5%, utilities +0.5% and telecoms +0.3%.
The S&P 500 retreated 0.34% overnight ahead of a widely-anticipated increase in the US's key lending rate tonight. Also unsettling traders was a seventh straight decline in crude oil after Saudi Arabia announced an increase in output. US crude futures rebounded 72 cents or 1.51% this morning to US$48.44 a barrel after the Saudis released a statement dampening concerns.
While a US rate hike tonight is considered a near-certainty, analysts attributed market nerves to the possibility the Federal Reserve bank may strike a more bearish note in outs accompanying outlook statement.
"What they have following that [rate hike], I think, is what's making people nervous," JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade in the US, told CNBC. "What will be their new targets?"
China's Shanghai Composite shed 0.24%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng 0.61% and Japan's Nikkei 0.39%. Dow futures were recently ahead 11 points or 0.05%.
Gold futures drifted $2.20 or 0.18% lower to US$1,200.40 an ounce. The dollar was buying 75.65 US cents.
Index has gone nowhere for at least a month. Seems to be stuck in a range between 5700 and 5800. Most analysts anticipate a retrace - if so, wish we'd get on with it rather than this wishy-washy fannying around. Trading: was overoptimistic about CPH, got in too soon and exited for a pip loss. Ahead in EOS and RGI.
