Note - from June 24th 2009, this blog has migrated from Blogger to a self-hosted version. Click here to go straight there.
Well, midnight came and went and there was a remarkable lack of Kingdoms of Satan being established (at least around here - I don't know how things panned out in the more hedonistic bits of the region, like Perthes-en-Gatinais or Chailly-en-Biere). Nope, seems like Dat Ol' Debbil didn't get up to much o' nuthin'. Maybe he was busy re-filling Cheney's soul reservoir with pus and bile.
But seriously - there are people in the world who are so stupid that they think
(a) Revelation is to be read literally, and refers to a time in the future;
(2) Jeebus and Dat Ol' Debbil follow the (Roman) Julian calendar; and
(iii) killing foreign children is OK.
Alright - maybe the killing foreign children thing has nothing to do with the preoccupation of Christian Taleban with augury and prognostication (both forms of idolatry, frankly). But "by their fruits shall ye know them" (I forget who said that), and it is clear that more Iraqis have died due to US intervention in Iraq, than had died in all the 30 years that Hussein was at the helm. So who is the evil one?
Also, I threw in (iii) solely to prove that going from (a) to (2) wasn't a typo.
Doubtless some wit will respond that 6/6/6 (or, if you prefer the American "month first" error, 6/6/6) was to be the date of the BIRTH of Dat Ol' Debbil's litle boy. The error in such a view is obvious to anybody who has seen "The Omen", which showed clearly that the AntiChrist was borned back in the 1970s (you can tell because the doctor had wide lapels).
Can you honestly take seriously anyone who believes that sort of stuff? It's about the most shallow means of social control this side of Government: that you must be nice or you will get scorched by some guy in a toga. Why not be nice anyway? It's EFFICIENT. Every Empire in history has found out that if you don't be nice, you have to pay more for stuff than you thought you were paying. Wars, not commerce, is what bankrupts every treasury.
Major Market Indices
The broad market - the ASX All Ordinaries (XAO) - fell by 12.60 points (-0.25%), finishing at 4991.90 points. The index hit an intraday high of 5004.50 just after the open, and the session low (4973.6 - 4375-ish) happened just before half past one in the afternoon.
Total volume traded on the ASX was 1.03 billion units, 4.0% above its 10-day average. Of the 492 active stocks in the index, 149 fell while 111 managed a gain. Volume was tilted in favour of the gainers - just, with 230.81million shares traded in gainers while 225.45 million shares traded in the day's losers ..
The Index that forms the cash basis for the SFE's Share Price Index Futures - the S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) - fell by 10.60 points (-0.21%), finishing at 5025.50 points.
The "heavy hitters" of the Australian market - the ASX 20 Leaders (XTL) - fell by 6.20 points (-0.23%), finishing at 2729.80 points. Within the index members, there were 8 that rose, and 10 losers. Total volume in rising issues within the ASX20 amounted to 22.66m units, while volume in the losers totalled 79.47m units.
The major winners in the "big guns" were -
- Wesfarmers (WES), +$0.380 (1.09%) to $35.200 on volume of 939,000 shares;
- Westfield Group (WDC), +$0.160 (0.94%) to $17.170 on volume of 3.94m shares;
- Suncorp-Metway (SUN), +$0.170 (0.91%) to $18.900 on volume of 3.11m shares;
- Foster's Group (FGL), +$0.040 (0.72%) to $5.620 on volume of 3.74m shares; and
- Woolworths (WOW), +$0.110 (0.59%) to $18.810 on volume of 2.52m shares.
The following stocks made up the biggest percentage losers in the big-guns:
- Woodside Petroleum (WPL), -$1.170 (2.64%) to $43.150 on volume of 3.68m shares;
- Rinker Group (RIN), -$0.33 (1.91%) to $16.98 on volume of 13.59m shares;
- QBE Insurance Group (QBE), -$0.19 (0.86%) to $21.91 on volume of 2.73m shares;
- BHP Billiton (BHP), -$0.17 (0.61%) to $27.85 on volume of 23.26m shares;
- AMP Limited (AMP), -$0.05 (0.56%) to $8.86 on volume of 5.34m shares.
At the smaller end of the market's capitalisation scale, the ASX Small Ordinaries Index (XSO) fell by 8.30 points (-0.29%), finishing at 2845.60 points. The major winners in the "pop-guns" were -
- Multiemedia (MUL), +$0.001 (12.5%) to $0.009 on volume of 33.9m shares;
- Kresta Holdings (KRS), +$0.020 (11.76%) to $0.190 on volume of 594,000 shares; and
- Village Life Ltd (VLL), +$0.015 (11.54%) to $0.145 on volume of 316,000 shares; and
- Auspine (ANE), +$0.230 (5.58%) to $4.350 on volume of 30,000 shares; and
- Austal (ASB), +$0.110 (4.23%) to $2.710 on volume of 318,000 shares.
The losingest-little-guys for the session were (in order of decline):
- Sally Malay Mining (SMY), -$0.065 (5.44%) to $1.130 on volume of 196,000 shares;
- Resolute Mining (RSG), -$0.085 (4.28%) to $1.900 on volume of 254,000 shares; and
- Bendigo Mining (BDG), -$0.080 (3.85%) to $2.000 on volume of 2.03m shares; and
- Equigold (EQI), -$0.060 (3.81%) to $1.515 on volume of 289,000 shares; and
- Kagara Zinc (KZL), -$0.150 (3.81%) to $3.790 on volume of 1.12m shares.
Index Changes
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAO | All Ordinaries | 4991.9 | -12.6 | -0.25% | 554.98m |
| XTL | S&P/ASX 20 | 2729.8 | -6.2 | -0.23% | 0 |
| XFL | S&P/ASX 50 | 4919 | -11.4 | -0.23% | 223.56m |
| XTO | S&P/ASX 100 | 4081.4 | -8.7 | -0.21% | 349.87m |
| XJO | S&P/ASX 200 | 5025.5 | -10.6 | -0.21% | 422.08m |
| XKO | S&P/ASX 300 | 5022.1 | -11.1 | -0.22% | 0 |
| XMD | S&P/ASX Mid-Cap 50 | 5063.7 | -5.7 | -0.11% | 0 |
| XSO | S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries | 2845.6 | -8.3 | -0.29% | 158.78m |
All Ordinaries Market Internals
Market Breadth
| ASX20 | XTO | XJO | XAO | XSO | Market | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advances | 8 | 39 | 67 | 111 | 56 | 404 |
| Declines | 10 | 43 | 89 | 149 | 79 | 588 |
| Advancing Volume | 22.66m | 146.58m | 180.73m | 230.81 | 90.9 | 403.77 |
| Declining Volume | 79.47m | 154.04m | 186.25m | 225.45 | 40.71 | 433.31 |
S&P/ASX200 GICS Sector Indices
The top sector for the day was XPJ Property Trusts which gained 0.92% to 1988.00 points. The sector was helped by
- Multiplex Group (MXG), +$0.070 (2.06%) to $3.460 on volume of 3.64m shares;
- Mirvac Group (MGR), +$0.090 (2.05%) to $4.480 on volume of 3.06m shares;
- Centro Properties Group (CNP), +$0.110 (1.64%) to $6.820 on volume of 1.3m shares;
- ING Office Fund (IOF), +$0.020 (1.48%) to $1.370 on volume of 3.31m shares; and
- Westfield Group (WDC), +$0.160 (0.94%) to $17.170 on volume of 3.94m shares.
Second in the sector leadership stakes was XSJ Consumer Staples which gained 0.22% to 6221.50 points. The sector leaders were -
- Foster's Group (FGL), +$0.040 (0.72%) to $5.620 on volume of 3.74m shares;
- Woolworths (WOW), +$0.110 (0.59%) to $18.810 on volume of 2.52m shares;
- Coles Myer Ltd (CML), -$0.000 (0%) to $11.650 on volume of 2.92m shares;
- Foodland Associated (FOA), -$0.000 (0%) to $28.950 on volume of 0,000 shares; and
- Metcash Trading (MTT), -$0.000 (0%) to $3.270 on volume of 0,000 shares.
The bronze today went to XUJ Utilities which gained 0.12% to 5826.60 points. The sector was led by
- Diversified Utility And Energy Trusts (DUE), +$0.040 (1.43%) to $2.830 on volume of 286,000 shares;
- Alinta (ALN), +$0.010 (0.09%) to $10.750 on volume of 736,000 shares;
- Energy Developments (ENE), -$0.000 (0%) to $4.100 on volume of 90,000 shares;
- Envestra (ENV), -$0.000 (0%) to $1.100 on volume of 774,000 shares; and
- Gasnet Australia Group (GAS), -$0.000 (0%) to $2.230 on volume of 320,000 shares.
The worst-performed sector today was XEJ Energy which lost 1.74% to 12112.50 points. The sector was dragged lower by
- Santos (STO), -$0.340 (2.94%) to $11.240 on volume of 1.94m shares;
- Woodside Petroleum (WPL), -$1.170 (2.64%) to $43.150 on volume of 3.68m shares;
- Hardman Resources (HDR), -$0.035 (2.12%) to $1.615 on volume of 7.87m shares;
- Roc Oil Company (ROC), -$0.080 (1.94%) to $4.050 on volume of 751,000 shares; and
- Worleyparsons (WOR), -$0.350 (1.67%) to $20.550 on volume of 1m shares.
Just in front of last place on the sector table was XIJ Information Technology which lost 0.57% to 485.20 points. The sector was pulled down by
- Computershare (CPU), -$0.090 (1.17%) to $7.600 on volume of 792,000 shares;
- Vision Systems (VSL), -$0.015 (0.8%) to $1.870 on volume of 829,000 shares;
- Infomedia Ltd (IFM), -$0.005 (0.78%) to $0.640 on volume of 174,000 shares;
- ERG (ERG), -$0.000 (0%) to $0.100 on volume of 1.9m shares; and
- Baycorp Advantage (BCA), -$0.000 (0%) to $3.210 on volume of 264,000 shares.
Sector Indices
| Code | GICS Sector | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XPJ | Property Trusts | 1988 | 18.1 | 0.92% | 70.81m |
| XSJ | Consumer Staples | 6221.5 | 13.9 | 0.22% | 21.18m |
| XUJ | Utilities | 5826.6 | 7 | 0.12% | 2.84m |
| XFJ | Financials | 5843.9 | 4.9 | 0% | 123.88m |
| XXJ | ASX200 Financials ex Property Trusts | 6032.8 | -8.8 | -0.15% | 57.01m |
| XTJ | Telecommunications | 1331.1 | -2.6 | -0.19% | 22.79m |
| XNJ | Industrials | 5411.7 | -14.1 | -0.26% | 44.34m |
| XHJ | Healthcare | 6467.3 | -19.1 | -0.29% | 7.93m |
| XDJ | Consumer Discretionary | 2323.6 | -10.7 | -0.46% | 32.01m |
| XMJ | Materials | 10449.3 | -51.8 | -0.49% | 136.81m |
| XIJ | Information Technology | 485.2 | -2.8 | -0.57% | 4.72m |
| XEJ | Energy | 12112.5 | -214.9 | -1.74% | 24.39m |
All Ordinaries Major Movers
All Ords Volume Leaders
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHP | BHP Billiton | 27.85 | -0.17 | -0.61% | 23.26m |
| TLS | Telstra Corporation | 3.8 | -0.02 | -0.52% | 19.47m |
| LHG | Lihir Gold | 3.05 | 0.04 | 1.33% | 18.99m |
| OXR | Oxiana | 3.06 | 0.04 | 1.32% | 17.55m |
| ZFX | Zinifex | 10.9 | 0.3 | 2.83% | 13.71m |
| BGF | Ballarat Goldfields | 0.3 | -0.01 | -1.64% | 13.66m |
All Ords Percentage Gainers
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOC | Bougainville Copper | 0.94 | 0.12 | 13.94% | 178214 |
| MUL | Multiemedia | 0.009 | 0.001 | 12.5% | 33.9m |
| KRS | Kresta Holdings | 0.19 | 0.02 | 11.76% | 593533 |
| UNI | Unilife Medical Solutions | 0.2 | 0.02 | 11.11% | 811500 |
| SPL | Starpharma Holdings | 0.45 | 0.03 | 7.23% | 123500 |
All Ords Percentage Decliners
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETW | Evans & Tate | 0.085 | -0.01 | -10.53% | 1.15m |
| GDM | Goldstream Mining | 0.54 | -0.04 | -6.96% | 135380 |
| SMY | Sally Malay Mining | 1.13 | -0.07 | -5.44% | 195762 |
| PWT | Powertel | 1.27 | -0.06 | -4.51% | 45973 |
| RSG | Resolute Mining | 1.9 | -0.09 | -4.28% | 253815 |
Elsewhere in the Region...
Regional Indices
| Country | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | NZSE50 | 3653.687 | 53.11 | 1.47% | 28.21m |
| Japan | Nikkei 225 | 15096.01 | -288.85 | -1.88% | -na- |
| Korea | KOSPI | 1266.84 | -34.78 | -2.67% | -ns- |
| Singapore | Straits Times | 2354.35 | -35.66 | -1.49% | -na- |
| Hong Kong | Hang Seng | 15810.52 | -162.59 | -1.02% | 291.56m |
| Malaysia | KLSE Comp | 923.77 | -1.72 | -0.19% | -na- |
