Note - from June 24th 2009, this blog has migrated from Blogger to a self-hosted version. Click here to go straight there.
The Strayan market behaved almost as if it had a mind of its own today - although the lack of leadership from the Yanks played a part: without a firm direction form Wall Street, domestic considerations dominated.
Today's market was dominated by better-than-expected employment data for Straya... in other words, firms delayed sacking labour until after the stimulus cheques were spent (that is, the next lot of data will be worse).
My left shoulder continues to give me gyp - the problem is that several years of laziness and absence from the gym have led to a deterioration in my deltoids (which were never awe-inspiring to begin with), while my arms remain larger than average. What this means is that if I spend long periods seated, my arms (which are quite heavy) will pretty much try to pull my shoulder out of joint - particularly the left, where a damaged nerve from a motorbike accident in the 1980s has left the shoulder with no nerve supply to the scapularis muscle that helps stabilise the shoulder girdle.
If I wasn't such a lazy old fart, I would simply grab a light dumbbell and do some lethargic girlie delt raises - or I could even declare myself utterly ghey and use one of those big lacka-bands that the ladies use when they mince around in gyms.
What this leads me to, dearest Reader, is a declaration of purpose. Lo these many years I have sworn to myself that I would get myself back into shape, and lo these many years I have failed to do so. My mate Mav - the Mighty Pezeveng - has sworn that he will have abs by the end of March. Apart from beign the second-best stock analyst I know, Mav is second only to the Tongan Warrior in his commitment to keeping in shape.
So I think I need some external discipline: thus I lay out a Declaration of Intent, which - if not fulfilled - will lead to a very public humiliation.
So here goes: by the end of July 2009, I will be back in gym-worthy shape: benching 120kg for 3 sets of 10; doing at least 15 chinups; my arms will be back to above 18 inches; my waist will be under 38.
But I go further: by the end of the year at the latest, I will have abs and be able to do a kip-up, and I declare that I am going to religiously follow the Stretch Mutant's program to enable me to perform the splits (side to side).
Lastly - and this is if everything else is achieved ahead of schedule - I am going to hire a trainer to teach me how to tumble and do handsprings and walkovers.
I will be reporting - on video, starting in a month - on my progress.
With colours now nailed to the mast, I fervently hope that my dread of public failure will keep me on the straight and narrow.
Major Market Indices
The broad market - the All Ordinaries (XAO) - rose strongly, registering a gain of 40.4 points (1.18%), finishing at 3458.5 points. The index hit an intraday high of 3493.3 at 12:36 pm, while the low for the day was 3443.5 - set at 3:01 pm Sydney time.
Total volume traded on the ASX was 1.23bn units, 11.4% above its 10-day average of 1.1bn shares.The ASX's daily listing of all stocks included 1008 different 3-letter FPO's which traded (i.e., had non-zero trade volume). Of these, 458 issues rose, with volume in rising issues totalling 676.9m units; there were 312 declining stocks, which traded aggregate declining volume of 437.1m shares.
Of the 485 All Ordinaries components, 250 rose while 137 fell. Volume was tilted in favour of the gainers by a margin of 1.3:1, with 516.9m shares traded in gainers while 388.91m shares traded in the day's losers.
The Index that forms the cash basis for the SPI Futures - the S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) - managed a solid gain, adding 39.9 points (1.15%), closing out the session at 3514.3 points.
| Name | Close | +/-(%) |
|---|---|---|
| All Ordinaries | 3458.50 | 40.40 (1.2%) |
| ASX 20 | 2152.50 | 17.80 (0.8%) |
| ASX 50 | 3577.50 | 40.30 (1.1%) |
| ASX 100 | 2901.10 | 31.40 (1.1%) |
| ASX 200 | 3514.30 | 39.90 (1.1%) |
| ASX 300 | 3498.30 | 39.60 (1.1%) |
| ASX Mid-Cap 50 | 3052.80 | 22.20 (0.7%) |
| ASX Small Ordinaries | 1606.40 | 28.90 (1.8%) |
The "heavy hitters" of the Australian market - the ASX 20 Leaders (XTL) - advanced by under a percent, adding 17.8 points (0.83%), closing out the session at 2152.5 points.
Among the 20 big guns, 14 index components finished to the upside, and 5 lost ground. The stocks which make up the index traded a total of 164.25m units; 14 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 106.83m shares, while the 5 decliners had volume traded totalling 52.12m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- Stockland (SGP), +$0.15 (5.56%) to $2.85 on volume of 11.7 million shares;
- Newcrest Mining (NCM), +$1.65 (5.1%) to $34.00 on volume of 4.2 million shares;
- Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (CBA), +$1.03 (3.44%) to $30.95 on volume of 6.2 million shares;
- Foster's Group (FGL), +$0.18 (3.42%) to $5.45 on volume of 11.9 million shares; and
- Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC), +$0.48 (2.97%) to $16.65 on volume of 6.2 million shares.
On the less salubrious side of the big-cap fence, the following stocks were the worst-performed within the index:
- CSL (CSL), -$0.83 (2.29%) to $35.47 on volume of 1.5 million shares;
- Westfield Group (WDC), -$0.23 (2.04%) to $11.05 on volume of 32.4 million shares;
- ANZ Banking Group (ANZ), -$0.13 (1.08%) to $11.89 on volume of 12.1 million shares;
- National Australia Bank (NAB), -$0.1 (0.53%) to $18.60 on volume of 4.5 million shares; and
- Woodside Petroleum (WPL), -$0.15 (0.46%) to $32.15 on volume of 1.7 million shares.
The ASX Small Ordinaries (XSO) performed solidly, moving up 28.9 points (1.83%), closing out the session at 1606.4 points.
Among the stocks that make up the Small Caps index, 116 index components finished to the upside, and of the rest, 61 closed lower for the session.
The 208 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 336.46m units: volume in the 116 gainers totalling 162.16m shares, with trade totalling 149.79m units in the index's 61 declining components. The major percentage gainers within the index were- Mintails (MLI), +$0.01 (13.95%) to $0.05 on volume of 4.8 million shares;
- Transpacific Industries (TPI), +$0.31 (13.14%) to $2.67 on volume of 1.4 million shares;
- OceanaGold Corporation (OGC), +$0.07 (13%) to $0.57 on volume of 2 million shares;
- St Barbara (SBM), +$0.04 (11.11%) to $0.35 on volume of 24.9 million shares; and
- Macquarie Countrywide Trust (MCW), +$0.02 (9.09%) to $0.18 on volume of 4.7 million shares.
In the red-zone of the little-stock index, the following list represents the biggest downers (in terms of percentage decline):
- Lynas Corporation (LYC), -$0.03 (19.35%) to $0.13 on volume of 19.1 million shares;
- Emeco Holdings Ltd (EHL), -$0.06 (19.05%) to $0.26 on volume of 7 million shares;
- Bradken (BKN), -$0.3 (16.3%) to $1.54 on volume of 5.4 million shares;
- Bannerman Resources (BMN), -$0.1 (12.82%) to $0.68 on volume of 781.9 thousand shares; and
- Marion Energy (MAE), -$0.03 (12.5%) to $0.21 on volume of 1.1 million shares.
Index Changes
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAO | All Ordinaries | 3458.5 | 40.4 | 1.18 | 954.5m |
| XFL | ASX 50 | 3577.5 | 40.3 | 1.14 | 361.7m |
| XJO | ASX 200 | 3514.3 | 39.9 | 1.15 | 814m |
| XKO | ASX 300 | 3498.3 | 39.6 | 1.14 | 893m |
| XMD | ASX Mid-Cap 50 | 3052.8 | 22.2 | 0.73 | 210.2m |
| XSO | ASX Small Ordinaries | 1606.4 | 28.9 | 1.83 | 321m |
| XTL | ASX 20 | 2152.5 | 17.8 | 0.83 | 152.5m |
| XTO | ASX 100 | 2901.1 | 31.4 | 1.09 | 572m |
Market Breadth
| ASX20 | XTO | XJO | XAO | XSO | Market | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advances | 14 | 63 | 133 | 250 | 116 | 458 |
| Declines | 5 | 35 | 60 | 137 | 61 | 312 |
| Advancing Volume | 106.8m | 350.7m | 468.8m | 516.9m | 162.2m | 676.9m |
| Declining Volume | 52.1m | 228.5m | 325.8m | 388.9m | 149.8m | 437.1m |
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 Information Technology (XIJ), which added 17 points (4.14%) to 427.4 points. This index only contains 2 stocks; they traded a total of 3.58m units today. Both stocks rose -
- Computershare (CPU), +$0.33 (4.58%) to $7.53 on volume of 3.2 million shares; and
- Iress Market Technology (IRE), +$0.04 (0.82%) to $4.94 on volume of 381 thousand shares.
Second in the index leadership stakes was Industrials (XNJ), which gained 65.6 points (2.45%) to 2746 points. The 32 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 93.02m units; 26 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 49.6m shares, while the 5 decliners had volume traded totalling 41.63m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- Transpacific Industries (TPI), +$0.31 (13.14%) to $2.67 on volume of 1.4 million shares;
- Macmahon Holdings (MAH), +$0.03 (7.94%) to $0.34 on volume of 4.4 million shares;
- GWA International (GWT), +$0.16 (6.99%) to $2.45 on volume of 428.3 thousand shares;
- Toll Holdings (TOL), +$0.35 (6.8%) to $5.50 on volume of 3.3 million shares; and
- Spotless Group (SPT), +$0.14 (6.51%) to $2.29 on volume of 229.4 thousand shares.
The bronze medal for today goes to Consumer Discretionary (XDJ), which climbed 16.6 points (1.62%) to 1039.2 points. The 23 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 36.06m units; 17 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 24.77m shares, while the 4 decliners had volume traded totalling 9.43m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were
- APN News & Media (APN), +$0.11 (7.75%) to $1.53 on volume of 742.7 thousand shares;
- Austar United Communications (AUN), +$0.04 (5.1%) to $0.83 on volume of 1.3 million shares;
- Consolidated Media Holdings (CMJ), +$0.09 (4.78%) to $1.87 on volume of 468.4 thousand shares;
- TEN Network Holdings (TEN), +$0.04 (3.85%) to $0.95 on volume of 533.1 thousand shares; and
- David Jones (DJS), +$0.08 (3.6%) to $2.30 on volume of 1.6 million shares.
The worst-performed index for the session was Healthcare (XHJ), which dipped 117.7 points (1.34%) to 8649.6 points. The 9 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 9.1m units; The 4 decliners had volume traded totalling 4.99m units, and 5 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 4.12m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were
- Ansell (ANN), -$0.52 (5.58%) to $8.80 on volume of 2 million shares;
- CSL (CSL), -$0.83 (2.29%) to $35.47 on volume of 1.5 million shares;
- Cochlear (COH), -$0.6 (1.13%) to $52.70 on volume of 603.8 thousand shares; and
- Sonic Healthcare (SHL), -$0.15 (1.11%) to $13.35 on volume of 897.1 thousand shares.
Just missing out on the wooden spoon was Property Trusts (XPJ), which slid 5.6 points (0.77%) to 726.1 points. The 21 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 190.94m units; The 10 decliners had volume traded totalling 130.23m units, and 9 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 57.78m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were
- ING Office Fund (IOF), -$0.04 (9.72%) to $0.33 on volume of 5.1 million shares;
- Macquarie Office Trust (MOF), -$0.01 (6.45%) to $0.15 on volume of 26.3 million shares;
- Mirvac Group (MGR), -$0.05 (4.39%) to $0.98 on volume of 14.5 million shares;
- Apn/Uka European Retail Property Group (AEZ), -$0 (4.17%) to $0.05 on volume of 920.8 thousand shares; and
- Macquarie DDR Trust (MDT), -$0 (3.7%) to $0.05 on volume of 2.9 million shares.
Sector Indices
| Code | GICS Sector | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XIJ | Information Technology | 427.4 | 17 | 4.14 | 4m |
| XNJ | Industrials | 2746 | 65.6 | 2.45 | 93m |
| XDJ | Consumer Discretionary | 1039.2 | 16.6 | 1.62 | 36m |
| XXJ | Financials ex Property Trusts | 3583.4 | 52.8 | 1.5 | 76m |
| XMJ | Materials | 9134.2 | 129.6 | 1.44 | 233m |
| XUJ | Utilities | 4238.7 | 57.9 | 1.38 | 42m |
| XTJ | Telecommunications | 1253 | 14.3 | 1.15 | 33m |
| XSJ | Consumer Staples | 6062.2 | 66.7 | 1.11 | 43m |
| XEJ | Energy | 11683.8 | 55.1 | 0.47 | 57m |
| XPJ | Property Trusts | 726.1 | -5.6 | -0.77 | 191m |
| XHJ | Healthcare | 8649.6 | -117.7 | -1.34 | 9m |
All Ordinaries Major Movers
All Ords Volume Leaders
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGL | Lihir Gold | 3.41 | 0.26 | 8.25 | 33.4m |
| WDC | Westfield Group | 11.05 | -0.23 | -2.04 | 32.4m |
| TLS | Telstra Corporation. | 3.67 | 0.04 | 1.1 | 30.2m |
| FMG | Fortescue Metals Group Ltd | 2.56 | 0.14 | 5.79 | 28.4m |
| BPT | Beach Petroleum | 0.79 | -0.01 | -1.25 | 28.2m |
All Ords Percentage Gainers
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APD | APN Property Group | 0.19 | 0.03 | 18.75 | 59.7k |
| ALD | Allied Gold | 0.41 | 0.06 | 15.71 | 1.2m |
| MLI | Mintails | 0.05 | 0.01 | 13.95 | 4.8m |
| VRLPA | Village Roadshow (PA) | 0.75 | 0.09 | 13.64 | 0.1k |
| TPI | Transpacific Industries | 2.67 | 0.31 | 13.14 | 1.4m |
All Ords Percentage Losers
| Code | Name | Close | +/- | % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEO | MEO Australia | 0.09 | -0.05 | -35.17 | 19.9m |
| CEG | CEC Group | 0.16 | -0.04 | -20 | 5.8k |
| LYC | Lynas Corporation | 0.13 | -0.03 | -19.35 | 19.1m |
| EHL | Emeco Holdings Ltd | 0.26 | -0.06 | -19.05 | 7m |
| BKN | Bradken | 1.54 | -0.30 | -16.3 | 5.4m |
