The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) inched higher on Wednesday, and looks set to do the same when it opens this morning. The Sydney Futures Exchange is pointing to a 3-point rise following a rather mixed night for global equity markets.
- FTSE 100 (UK): down 0.5%
- DAX (Germany): down 1.3%
- CAC 40 (France): down 0.96%
- Dow Jones (USA): up 0.12%
- NASDAQ (USA): up 0.03%
While investors will pay attention to the July jobs data, set to be released today, the direction of the market will likely be driven instead by earnings results, just as it has been in recent weeks.
Trade Me Group Ltd (ASX: TME) reported a 9.2% lift in revenues, but a 6.5% decline in net profit.
Fellow New Zealand-based Spark New Zealand Ltd (ASX: SPK) also reported this morning, announcing a 1% decline in revenues but a 2.5% increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).
Spark is also guiding for between 0% and 3% growth in revenue in 2017 and a 0% to 2% lift in EBITDA.
Meanwhile, Tatts Group Limited (ASX: TTS) and Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) are also expected to report their earnings results today, along with Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) and AMP Limited (ASX: AMP).
Other reporting businesses include infrastructure group Sydney Airport Holdings Ltd (ASX: SYD), SAI Global Limited (ASX: SAI), Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE), Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) as well as IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH) and Bapcor (which is still referred to as Burson Group Ltd (ASX: BAP) on Google Finance), amongst others.
Elsewhere, investors in the gold sector will be hoping that a 0.2% lift in the spot gold price overnight can boost shares of EVOLUTION FPO (ASX: EVN) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) after they fell sharply on Wednesday.
Spotless Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPO) and QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) also plunged on Wednesday, and could be scrutinised further by investors today.
