The Australian shares ended with little changes on Friday. The S&P/ASX200 index just added 1 point to 3776.7 points, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 2.5 points to 3728.1. The local market is likely to be lifted on the back of the stronger metals prices. Today Rio Tinto's Australian annual meeting will also be the market focus.
Yesterday the Australian shares closed with a three months high, lifted by stronger banks and resources stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 2.2%, or 81.3 points, at 3752.9, while the broader All Ordinaries index also gained 2.2%, or 80.5 points, at 3698. The financial sector was largely buoyed by the US bank Goldman Sachs’ first quarter earnings.
Most Asian markets declined on Monday. Japan's Nikkei average tumbled 1.2% to a 26-year low, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slumped 4.8%, the sharpest fall in the major indexes in Asia. China's Shanghai Composite was down 3.4%. But South Korea's Kospi ended 1.6% higher lifted by technology and shipbuilding sectors.
Yesterday the Australian market closed higher led by resources sector as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the Chinese government will increase spending to boost the economy and achieve an 8% growth target this year. It raised the expectations that China's stimulus measures will prompt the demand for resources. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 22.1 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 3,188.5, while the broader All Ordinaries index rose 22.9 points, or 0.73 per cent, to 3,148.8.
Asian share markets closed sharply lower on Monday with investor sentiment sharply dented by a worse-than-expected contraction in the U.S. economy. In Hong Kong, Hang Seng Index fell 3.86 per cent, dragged by the slump in U.S. stocks to new bear market lows Friday and concerns over HSBC. Japan's Nikkei-225 was down 3.8 per cent, while South Korean stocks closed 4.16 per cent lower. But Shanghai shares bucked the regional trend, closing up 0.51 per cent, as government stimulus plans boosted real estate and cement stocks.
Yesterday the Aussie market ended higher amid expectations debt-laden Rio Tinto would announce the A$30 billion deal with Chinese steelmaker Chinalco. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 was up 39.9 points, or 1.15 per cent, at 3,514.3, while the broader All Ordinaries rose 40.4 points, or 1.18 per cent, to 3,458.5. Today investors will also be looking to the proceeding of government's A42$ billion economic stimulus package as Parliament will debate a new version after the Senate rejected the government's first proposed plan.
Yesterday Asian share markets ended broadly lower after Wall Street's massive sell-off over the revised proposal to shore up U.S. banks. Japanese markets were closed for a public holiday. Hong Hong's Hang Seng Index dropped 2.5%, while South Korea's Kospi gave up 0.7%.
