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Summary
- Australia’s benchmark equity index ASX 200 on Wednesday opened lower after the US stock markets closed flat, led by the weakness in blue-chips, including technology stocks.
- While Consumer Discretionary was down 2.043 per cent, Energy was up 4.855 per cent.
- The broader All Ordinaries index was up 0.697 per cent, while the ASX 200 VIX Index was down 0.151 per cent.
Australia’s benchmark equity index ASX 200 on Wednesday opened lower, down 14.90 points or 0.22 per cent to 6,824.30, after the US stock markets closed flat, led by the weakness in blue-chips, including technology stocks. The US stocks were sluggish even after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the central bank would keep the current rates untouched to help jumpstart the economy.
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On Tuesday, The S&P 500 gained 0.13 per cent to 3881.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced back 0.05 per cent to 31537.35. The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite Index shed 0.50 per cent to 13465.20 and the small-cap Russell 2000 ticked down 0.88 per cent to 2231.31.
Who gained, who lost
AUB Group Holdings (up 10.06 per cent) and Corporate Travel Management Ltd (up 9.82 per cent) were among the top gainers in the opening trade on the ASX 200. The laggards were Perenti Global Ltd and Austal Ltd, down 12.60 per cent and 10.93 per cent, respectively.
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How ASX 200 performed in the last five days
The index has lost 0.90 per cent for the last five days, but sits 4.42 per cent below its 52-week high. On Tuesday, the ASX 200 closed at 6,839.20, up 58.30 points or 0.86 per cent. The broader All Ordinaries index was up 0.697 per cent, while the ASX 200 VIX Index was down 0.151 per cent.
While Consumer Discretionary was down 2.043 per cent, Energy was up 4.855 per cent.
Australian Dollar, Bonds, Oil and Bitcoin
AUD/USD is trading down 0.02 per cent to 0.7913.
WTI Crude oil hit another new 52-week high of US$62.97 a barrel. WTI Crude Oil (Futures) is currently trading down 0.81 per cent to US$61.20 a barrel.
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The Australian government’s 10-year bond yields stood at 1.608, up 2.32 per cent.
Bitcoin has witnessed panic selling after Janet Yellen called it a highly speculative asset. Bitcoin was trading down nearly 10.09 per cent to US$48,653.95.
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