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22/10/2019 - 08:52

ASX opens higher after positive lead

22/10/2019 - 08:52

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The Australian share market has opened slightly higher after a positive lead from overseas.

ASX opens higher after positive lead

The Australian share market has opened slightly higher after a positive lead from overseas.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 9.3 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 6,661.8 points at 1030 AEDT on Tuesday, while the broader All Ordinaries was up 10.0 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 6,767.7 points.

Energy shares led gains by rising 0.91 per cent in the first half hour of trade, followed by the materials and utilities sectors.

Santos, Woodside Petroleum and Beach Energy were up between 0.47 per cent and 1.94 per cent, but outlier Oil Search dipped 0.07 per cent after the company cut its full-year production forecast.

Mining giant BHP was up 0.17 per cent to $35.04, Rio Tinto was up 0.94 per cent to $88.95, and Fortescue Metals was up 0.60 per cent to $8.37.

Among utilities, APA was up 0.80 per cent and AusNet added 0.69 per cent.

The big four banks were mostly higher, with ANZ up 0.38 per cent to $27.815, NAB up 0.28 per cent to $28.94, and Westpac up 0.14 per cent to $28.93.

Commonwealth Bank was flat at $79.78. 

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was down 0.09 per cent, Bank of Queensland was up 0.27 per cent, and Macquarie Group was flat.

The healthcare sector fell 0.44 per cent and property trusts retreated 0.29 per cent.

Pharma giant CSL dipped 0.09 per cent, ResMed fell 0.89 per cent and Cochlear lost 3.31 per cent.

Stockland fell 2.64 per cent and GPT dipped 0.24 per cent, but Mirvac was up 0.32 per cent after the developer said an increase in residential sales volumes was likely on the way.

Super Retail Group was down 4.39 per cent after the Rebel Sport and Supercheap Auto owner said discounting had had hit its margins despite like-for-like sales increasing 3.2 per cent so far this financial year.

On Wall Street overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.21 per cent, the S&P 500 was up 0.69 per cent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.91 per cent.

The Aussie dollar is buying 68.66 US cents from 68.59 US cents on Monday.