ASX 200 Update: ASX is Trading Lower Today

• ASX is trading lower today at 5390-5395 levels after the Wall Street had its worst day since August, despite Twitter's bumper opening day. 

• Australian dollar (AUD) fell after the RBA's (Reserve Bank of Australia) statement on quarterly monetary policy but now the local currency has recovered most of its losses. AUD was trading just above 94.60 US cents but fell to as low as 94.28 US cents after RBA's statement. The statement said the RBA was forecasting lower growth for 2014 and that a lower exchange rate was needed for balanced growth.

• A big economic data is coming on calendar tonight is US employment report. The data is predicted to show the nation added 120,000 jobs last month, while the jobless rate inched up to 7.3 per cent, from 7.2 per cent in September.

ASX Tips

ASX 200 Market Wrap-up - November 7, 2013

ASX finished lower today as investors sold shares in ANZ and National Australia Bank. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 11.8 points, or 0.22 per cent, at 5,422. The broader All Ordinaries index was down 10.6 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,415.4.

ANZ shares shed $1.42, or 4.2 per cent, to $32.38 and NAB dropped $1.21, or 3.37 per cent, to $34.68. However, Commonwealth Bank was up $1.36 to yet another record high at $79.32, and Westpac edged 16 cents lower to $34.23.

National turnover was 1.57 billion securities worth $5.15 billion. 

ASX 200

ASX Update: ASX is Trading Lower Today

• ASX is trading lower today and it is weighed down by major banks ANZ and NAB.

• Some of the key sectors in Australia are recovering now as housing market is recovering and construction sector is expanding for the first time in more than three years.

• The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (PCI) rose 6.8 points to 54.4 in October, rising above the 50-point level which separates expansion from contraction.The construction industry has been in contraction since 2010.

• Let's take a look at how regional stock markets are doing today:

• Nikkei: -0.5%

• Hang Seng: -0.6%

• Taiwan: -0.2%

• South Korea: -0.6%

• Singapore: +0.1%

• New Zealand: -0.1%

ASX Tips

ASX 200 Wrap-up - November 6, 2013

ASX closed flat today at 5433.8 after recovering from heavy fall at the open to post a modest gain of 1.8-points. 

ASX was positively affected by Commonwealth Bank of Australia's rise on bumper first quarter profits and continued gains of mining stocks, it was also supported by stronger than expected bulk commodity prices and shrinking trade deficit.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) did the most heavy lifting, rising 1.3 per cent to a record $77.96, after earnings in the quarter ended September 30 surged 14 per cent to $2.1 billion, boosted by lower bad debts and gains in the home loan market.

Here are the worst and best performers of the day:

ASX 200

ASX Market Update - November 6, 2013

• ASX is trading below yesterday's level as investors are worried about the US Federal Reserve's stimulus plans, but Commonwealth Bank has hit a new record high on the back its profit update.

• Even regional stocks are also behaving same way as ASX after upbeat US economic data fanned speculation the Federal Reserve could start slowing its asset buying as early as next month:

• (Japan) Nikkei: -0.1%

• Shanghai: -0.1%

• Taiwan: -0.2%

• South Korea: Flat

• Hong Kong: -0.1%

• Singapore: -0.1%

• New Zealand: +0.3%

ASX 200 Tips

ASX 200 Market Wrap-up - November 5, 2013

• The ASX closed strongly higher, supported by gains in mining and energy shares. The benchmark index added 41.4 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 5432.0, as the big four banks, along with the biggest mining and energy stocks, led the bourse higher. 

• Local shares opened higher, taking their lead from international equities after Wall Street and major European markets closed higher. The local market continued to climb in the afternoon, despite declines in major equity markets around Asia.

• Among the banks, CBA jumped 1.2 per cent to a record $77. National Australia Bank rose 1 per cent to $35.80, while ANZ gained 0.8 per cent to $33.79. Westpac added 0.6 per cent to $34.35. 

• Resources stocks were the best performers, the energy index was up 1.3 per cent, and the metals and mining index gained 1.4 per cent.

ASX 200 

ASX 200 Market Update - November 5, 2013

•  
  ASX is trading near 5,430-levels as local shares are holding on to strong gains led by mining shares, but the dollar slipped after RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) pointed out that local currency is going too high.
•  This is how regional markets are doing today:
• Japan (Nikkei): -0.05%
• Hong Kong: -0.6%
• Shanghai: -0.4%
• Taiwan: -0.5%
• Korea: -0.45%
• ASX200: +0.8%
• Singapore: +0.2%
• New Zealand: +1.4%

• Today, Australian dollar slipped a quarter of a cent against US dollar after RBA's statement that AUD is "uncomfortably" high.

ASX 200