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Today's OzRant will be mercifully witticism-free. I've got to crack on and get teh permssions system on the subscription site sorted for once and for all. The REverse Bank cut rates, indicating that as usual bureauctas will always thieve from the polity through inflation in preference to having their banker mate's deals go sour.]; $A reacted as you might expect.
Major Market Indices
The broad market - the All Ordinaries (XAO) - declined gently, dropping 5 points (0.1%), finishing at 5195 points. The index hit an intraday high of 5250.1 at 12:34 pm, while the low for the day was 5184.5 - set at 10:01 am Sydney time.
Total volume traded on the ASX was 1.31bn units, 14.7% below its 10-day average. The ASX's daily listing of all stocks included 1312 different 3-letter FPO's which traded (i.e., had non-zero trade volume). Of these, 565 issues rose, with volume in rising issues totalling 711m units; decliners numbered 446 counters, and between them they traded aggregate declining volume of 479.2m shares.
Of the 492 All Ordinaries components, 247 rose while 160 fell. Volume was tilted in favour of the gainers by a margin of 1.5:1, with 529.91m shares traded in gainers while 344.8m 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 mildly, losing 2.3 points (0.04%), closing out the session at 5116 points.
| Name | Close | +/-(%) |
|---|---|---|
| All Ordinaries | 5195.00 | -5.00 (0.1%) |
| ASX 20 | 2886.50 | -12.90 (0.4%) |
| ASX 50 | 4996.90 | -9.90 (0.2%) |
| ASX 100 | 4144.40 | -2.60 (0.1%) |
| ASX 200 | 5116.00 | -2.30 (0.0%) |
| ASX 300 | 5112.20 | -1.30 (0.0%) |
| ASX Mid-Cap 50 | 5134.20 | 39.00 (0.8%) |
| ASX Small Ordinaries | 2945.30 | 9.20 (0.3%) |
The "heavy hitters" of the Australian market - the ASX 20 Leaders (XTL) - slid modestly, falling 12.9 points (0.44%), closing out the session at 2886.5 points.
The 20 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 126.25m units; 14 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 85.49m shares, while the 6 decliners had volume traded totalling 40.77m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- Stockland (SGP), +$0.26 (4.84%) to $5.63 on volume of 5.1 million shares;
- QBE Insurance Group Limited (QBE), +$0.98 (4.21%) to $24.26 on volume of 2.6 million shares;
- Macquarie Group Limited (MQG), +$1.37 (3.05%) to $46.36 on volume of 3 million shares;
- Westfield Group (WDC), +$0.34 (1.96%) to $17.72 on volume of 5.2 million shares; and
- Australia And New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), +$0.32 (1.92%) to $16.97 on volume of 10.2 million shares.
On the less salubrious side of the big-cap fence, the following stocks were the worst-performed within the index:
- Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL), -$2.9 (4.72%) to $58.50 on volume of 3.3 million shares;
- BHP Billiton Limited (BHP), -$1.79 (4.36%) to $39.29 on volume of 12.5 million shares;
- Rio Tinto Limited (RIO), -$4.99 (3.99%) to $119.97 on volume of 1.4 million shares;
- Foster's Group Limited (FGL), -$0.11 (1.98%) to $5.44 on volume of 17.2 million shares; and
- Suncorp-Metway Limited. (SUN), -$0.07 (0.62%) to $11.24 on volume of 3.6 million shares.
At the other end of the market-cap spectrum lie the denizens of the ASX Small Ordinaries (XSO) -and today the small-fry swam in the opposite direction to the big fish. The Small Ords advanced by under a percent, adding 9.2 points (0.31%), closing out the session at 2945.3 points.
Among the stocks that make up the Small Caps index, 115 index components finished to the upside, and of the rest, 62 closed lower for the session.
The 195 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 305.81m units: volume in the 115 gainers totalling 132.34m shares, with trade totalling 161.37m units in the index's 62 declining components. The major percentage gainers within the index were- Galileo Japan Trust (GJT), +$0.05 (17.24%) to $0.34 on volume of 7.6 million shares;
- Mineral Deposits Limited (MDL), +$0.07 (13.46%) to $0.59 on volume of 251.4 thousand shares;
- Challenger Diversified Property Group (CDI), +$0.07 (10.53%) to $0.74 on volume of 2.1 million shares;
- Deep Yellow Limited (DYL), +$0.03 (10%) to $0.28 on volume of 2.6 million shares; and
- Buru Energy Limited (BRU), +$0.03 (10%) to $0.33 on volume of 5.5 million shares.
In the red-zone of the little-stock index, the following list represents the biggest downers (in terms of percentage decline):
- Rubicon America Trust (RAT), -$0.02 (26.15%) to $0.05 on volume of 1.7 million shares;
- Albidon Limited (ALB), -$0.25 (11.9%) to $1.85 on volume of 484.1 thousand shares;
- Allco Finance Group Limited (AFG), -$0.04 (11.11%) to $0.32 on volume of 3.6 million shares;
- Babcock & Brown Power (BBP), -$0.02 (9.68%) to $0.14 on volume of 18.8 million shares; and
- Atlas Iron Limited (AGO), -$0.24 (9.16%) to $2.38 on volume of 2.3 million shares.
Index Changes
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAO | All Ordinaries | 5195 | -5 | -0.1 | 912.1m |
| XFL | ASX 50 | 4996.9 | -9.9 | -0.2 | 308.3m |
| XJO | ASX 200 | 5116 | -2.3 | -0.04 | 719.9m |
| XKO | ASX 300 | 5112.2 | -1.3 | -0.03 | 825.3m |
| XMD | ASX Mid-Cap 50 | 5134.2 | 39 | 0.77 | 211.2m |
| XSO | ASX Small Ordinaries | 2945.3 | 9.2 | 0.31 | 305.8m |
| XTL | ASX 20 | 2886.5 | -12.9 | -0.44 | 126.3m |
| XTO | ASX 100 | 4144.4 | -2.6 | -0.06 | 519.5m |
Market Breadth
| ASX20 | XTO | XJO | XAO | XSO | Market | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advances | 14 | 62 | 126 | 247 | 115 | 565 |
| Declines | 6 | 36 | 64 | 160 | 62 | 446 |
| Advancing Volume | 85.5m | 376.1m | 464.4m | 529.9m | 132.3m | 711m |
| Declining Volume | 40.8m | 163.1m | 267.7m | 344.8m | 161.4m | 479.2m |
GICS Industry Indices
Among the 11 industry indices, 9 registered an advance for the session, the remaining 2 lost ground.
The best performing index was Property Trusts (XPJ), which added 39.7 points (2.71%) to 1503.9 points. The 21 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 150.34m units; 20 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 141.15m shares, while sole declining stock traded 9.19m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- Tishman Speyer Office Fund (TSO), +$0.07 (6.25%) to $1.19 on volume of 1.4 million shares;
- Babcock&Brown Japan Property Trust (BJT), +$0.05 (6.17%) to $0.86 on volume of 3.5 million shares;
- Macquarie Countrywide Trust (MCW), +$0.06 (5.63%) to $1.13 on volume of 5.2 million shares;
- Macquarie DDR Trust (MDT), +$0.02 (5.41%) to $0.39 on volume of 8.4 million shares; and
- Stockland (SGP), +$0.26 (4.84%) to $5.63 on volume of 5.1 million shares.
Second in the index leadership stakes was Healthcare (XHJ), which gained 201.7 points (2.09%) to 9835.3 points. The 8 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 10.31m units; 6 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 9.39m shares, while the 2 decliners had volume traded totalling 0.92m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (SIP), +$0.09 (6.51%) to $1.39 on volume of 2.7 million shares;
- Healthscope Limited (HSP), +$0.27 (6.46%) to $4.45 on volume of 958.2 thousand shares;
- Sonic Healthcare Limited (SHL), +$0.68 (4.84%) to $14.72 on volume of 1 million shares;
- CSL Limited (CSL), +$0.76 (1.87%) to $41.50 on volume of 1.4 million shares; and
- Cochlear Limited (COH), +$0.81 (1.5%) to $54.75 on volume of 288.6 thousand shares.
The bronze medal for today goes to Utilities (XUJ), which climbed 88.9 points (1.72%) to 5267.3 points. The 10 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 65.53m units; 7 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 41.4m shares, while the 2 decliners had volume traded totalling 22.96m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- AGL Energy Limited (AGK), +$0.51 (3.43%) to $15.40 on volume of 751.7 thousand shares;
- Spark Infrastructure Group (SKI), +$0.03 (1.89%) to $1.62 on volume of 5.8 million shares;
- Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group (BBI), +$0.01 (1.09%) to $0.47 on volume of 32.2 million shares;
- APA Group (APA), +$0.03 (0.83%) to $3.64 on volume of 661.3 thousand shares; and
- Duet Group (DUE), +$0.02 (0.67%) to $2.99 on volume of 706.8 thousand shares.
The worst-performed index for the session was Materials (XMJ), which dipped 381.9 points (2.74%) to 13534.2 points. The 42 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 171.89m units; The 19 decliners had volume traded totalling 95m units, and 20 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 76.26m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were
- Atlas Iron Limited (AGO), -$0.24 (9.16%) to $2.38 on volume of 2.3 million shares;
- Sundance Resources Limited (SDL), -$0.02 (6.67%) to $0.28 on volume of 36.8 million shares;
- Aquarius Platinum Limited (AQP), -$0.7 (6.48%) to $10.10 on volume of 433.1 thousand shares;
- Newcrest Mining Limited (NCM), -$1.71 (6.44%) to $24.84 on volume of 3.3 million shares; and
- Lynas Corporation Limited (LYC), -$0.07 (6.09%) to $1.08 on volume of 1.1 million shares.
Just missing out on the wooden spoon was Energy (XEJ), which slid 463.7 points (2.5%) to 18070.5 points. The 17 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 31.2m units; The 15 decliners had volume traded totalling 27.64m units, and 2 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 3.55m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were
- Energy Resources Of Australia Limited (ERA), -$1.25 (5.81%) to $20.25 on volume of 340 thousand shares;
- Centennial Coal Company Limited (CEY), -$0.28 (4.77%) to $5.59 on volume of 2.2 million shares;
- Beach Petroleum Limited (BPT), -$0.06 (4.76%) to $1.10 on volume of 4.2 million shares;
- Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL), -$2.9 (4.72%) to $58.50 on volume of 3.3 million shares; and
- Oil Search Limited (OSH), -$0.21 (3.44%) to $5.89 on volume of 3.1 million shares.
Sector Indices
| Code | GICS Sector | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XPJ | Property Trusts | 1503.9 | 39.7 | 2.71 | 150m |
| XHJ | Healthcare | 9835.3 | 201.7 | 2.09 | 10m |
| XUJ | Utilities | 5267.3 | 88.9 | 1.72 | 66m |
| XDJ | Consumer Discretionary | 1739.6 | 28.1 | 1.64 | 48m |
| XXJ | Financials ex Property Trusts | 5049.8 | 66.7 | 1.34 | 81m |
| XTJ | Telecommunications | 1493.2 | 17.8 | 1.21 | 29m |
| XNJ | Industrials | 4927.3 | 58.1 | 1.19 | 116m |
| XIJ | Information Technology | 520.4 | 4.5 | 0.87 | 2m |
| XSJ | Consumer Staples | 7336.1 | 31.8 | 0.44 | 46m |
| XEJ | Energy | 18070.5 | -463.7 | -2.5 | 31m |
| XMJ | Materials | 13534.2 | -381.9 | -2.74 | 172m |
All Ordinaries Major Movers
All Ords Volume Leaders
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT | GPT Group | 1.90 | 0.09 | 4.7 | 43.4m |
| SDL | Sundance Resources Limited | 0.28 | -0.02 | -6.67 | 36.8m |
| BBI | Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group | 0.47 | 0.01 | 1.09 | 32.2m |
| VBA | Virgin Blue Holdings Limited | 0.51 | -0.03 | -5.56 | 31.4m |
| OZL | OZ Minerals Limited | 1.77 | 0.04 | 2.02 | 30.9m |
All Ords Percentage Gainers
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIM | Aim Resources Limited | 0.03 | 0.01 | 20.83 | 3.5m |
| GJT | Galileo Japan Trust | 0.34 | 0.05 | 17.24 | 7.6m |
| CXG | Coote Industrial Ltd | 1.25 | 0.15 | 13.64 | 315.2k |
| MDL | Mineral Deposits Limited | 0.59 | 0.07 | 13.46 | 251.4k |
| CDI | Challenger Diversified Property Group | 0.74 | 0.07 | 10.53 | 2.1m |
All Ords Percentage Losers
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAT | Rubicon America Trust | 0.05 | -0.02 | -26.15 | 1.7m |
| ARR | Arasor International Limited | 0.08 | -0.01 | -15.56 | 150k |
| ALB | Albidon Limited | 1.85 | -0.25 | -11.9 | 484.1k |
| AFG | Allco Finance Group Limited | 0.32 | -0.04 | -11.11 | 3.6m |
| BBP | Babcock & Brown Power | 0.14 | -0.02 | -9.68 | 18.8m |
