The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is set to rise again today ahead of the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's August meeting.
Here's a quick recap:
- FTSE 100 (UK): up 0.36%
- DAX (Germany): up 0.24%
- CAC 40 (France): down 0.05%
- Dow Jones (USA):up 0.32%
- NASDAQ (USA): up 0.56%
All eyes will be on BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) today with the big miner set to release its annual earnings results at 4:30pm AEST. It is expected to unveil its worst-ever loss amid softer commodity prices, write-downs and charges related to the Samarco dam disaster in Brazil last year.
BHP's shares fell 2.5% on Monday, while Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) both lost more than 3%. Investors will hope for a more positive return from them today, although iron ore prices did retreat marginally overnight.
Oil, on the other hand, rebounded another 3.1%. Brent crude is now fetching more than US$48 a barrel which bodes well for BHP, as well as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL).
Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP) will also report its earnings today, together with InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC), BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX) and Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR).
The Reserve Bank of Australia will release the minutes to its August meeting at 11:30am AEST time today. The RBA cut interest rates to a record low of 1.5% on 2 August, partly as an attempt to force the Australian dollar lower, but the currency has instead surged towards US77 cents.
As such, investors will be eager to establish whether more interest rate cuts are likely in the near future. That could impact shares of businesses such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) and Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) today.
Meanwhile, investors will also be watching shares of Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN), Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA) and JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) with interest today. The trio soared yesterday following their earnings announcements, with all three hitting new 52-week or all-time highs.
