The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has finished the session down 0.47% after a string of poor company earnings releases led by Qantas' $252 million loss and announcement that it would cut thousands of jobs from the airline. In economic news, data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that private capital expenditure fell more than expected in the December quarter which also dampened the mood on the local bourse.
US markets overnight were subdued as traders awaited Thursday's testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. At the close the Dow Jones was up 0.12%, while the S&P 500 was flat.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index today.
- Henderson Group plc (ASX: HGG) rallied 4.9% to $4.68
- Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) rose 4.8% to $1.86
- Virtus Health Ltd (ASX: VRT) climbed 4.7% to $8.10
- Telecom Corp of New Zealand Ltd (ASX: TEL) added 2.7% to $2.29
- SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) gained 2.3% to $17.24
These stocks were the losers on the day.
