Although it began the day in the red as a result of a tumbling oil price, the local bourse managed to recover its losses as the session wore on, ending the day slightly in the black.
Here's a quick recap:
- S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) flat at 5230 points
- ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) up 0.1% to 5315 points
- AUD/USD at US 74.87 cents
- Iron Ore at US$55.07 a tonne, according to the Metal Bulletin
- Gold at US$1,358.14 an ounce
- Brent oil at US$46.83 a barrel
Perhaps surprisingly, most shares in the energy sector suffered only small losses today. BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) for instance fell 0.2%, while Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) both managed to end the day slightly higher.
The banks produced mixed results as well. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) was the best of the lot, rising 0.3%, while Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) recorded marginal declines.
The gold miners pared back some of their gains today. Beadell Resources Ltd (ASX: BDR) fell 6.9%, while Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) lost 2.8%.
Whitehaven Coal Limited (ASX: WHC) and Bellamy's Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL) were two of the market's best for the day. They rose 10.2% and 6.1%, while Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) shares fell 2%.
Here are Friday's top stories:
- 2016's Top 5 stocks revealed
- The chasm between good and great
- 5 ASX shares that have soared since Brexit
- 5 ASX shares that have been smashed since Brexit
- 3 beaten-up bargains for investors with a cast-iron stomach
- 3 exciting fintech companies to buy today
- Why brokers rate these 3 shares as conviction buys today
