1/29/2012 8:28 PM ET
(RTTNews) - After a slightly weak start and a subsequent recovery, the Australian stock market faltered on Monday with investors treading cautiously ahead of the earnings reporting season.
A flat lead from Wall Street where stocks ended on a subdued note following a decline in U.S. GDP growth is also contributing to the sluggish movements in the Australian market.
Consumer staples, financial, information technology and industrial stocks are trading slightly weak, while mining, energy and healthcare stocks are trading mixed.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index, which declined to 4,270.6, is currently trading at 4,281.6, down 6.8 points from its previous close. The broader All Ordinaries index is down 6.9 points at 4,341.6, off the day's low of 4,332.6.
Among bank stocks, ANZ Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia are trading flat, while National Australia Bank and Westpac are down 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. Bendigo & Adelaide Bank and Bank of Queensland are up marginally.
Among miners, Fortescue Metals and Newcrest Mining are trading modestly higher and BHP Billiton is up marginally, while Rio Tinto is trading in negative territory with a loss of over 1 percent.
In the energy sector, Woodside Petroleum and Origin Energy are down 0.6 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Oil Search is down nearly 2 percent, while Santos and Caltex Australia are trading higher by 0.6 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.
Perseus Mining is trading stronger by over 5 percent. Paladin Energy, Bluescope Steel, David Jones, Myer Holdings and Alumina are up 2.5 to 4.5 percent.
Resmed, Graincorp, Atlas Iron, Duet Group, Whitehaven Coal, Lynas Corporation, JB Hi-Fi and Westfield Retail Trust are also trading notably higher.
APA Group shares are trading nearly 2.5 percent down. Incitec Pivot, James Hardie Industries, AMP and Goodman Group are down 1.2 to 1.8 percent.
In the currency market, the Australian dollar opened slightly higher amid hopes of a solution to the Greek debt crisis. In early trades, the Aussie was quoting at US$1.0646, up 0.3 percent from Friday's close of US$1.0612.
Among other markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan and South Korea are trading weak, while New Zealand is trading modestly higher. Markets across the region closed mostly higher on Friday.
On Wall Street, stocks turned in a lackluster performance over the course of the trading day on Friday as traders digested a report showing somewhat weaker than expected U.S. economic growth in the final three months of last year.
The major averages eventually ended the session mixed, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq closing in positive territory. The Nasdaq rose 11.3 points or 0.4 percent to 2,816.6, while the Dow ended down 74.1 points or 0.6 percent at 12,660.5 and the S&P 500 edged down by 2.1 points or 0.2 percent to 1,316.3.
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