International markets produced mixed results overnight, but the local S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) looks set to continue falling on Friday. The Sydney Futures Exchange is pointing to a 0.2% fall at the open following the release of relatively weak economic data from the United States.
Here's a quick recap:
- FTSE 100 (UK): down 0.52%
- DAX (Germany): down 0.55%
- CAC 40 (France): up 0.03%
- Dow Jones (USA): up 0.1%
- NASDAQ (USA): up 0.27%
The commodities sector could come under pressure again today. Oil prices fell 2.5% to below US$46 a barrel, which may weigh on Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) some more.
While a falling oil and iron ore price weighed on their shares yesterday, the London-listed shares of BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) recovered marginally on Thursday night. That could help support their shares today.
Gold prices did manage to rebound marginally, although not by much. Still, gold shares such as Silver Lake Resources Limited. (ASX: SLR) have been hit hard this week, so any improvement could help encourage investors in the sector.
Outside the resources industry, Amcor Limited (ASX: AMC) has agreed to acquire Sonoco Products Company, a leading manufacturer of specialty containers in North America, for a sum of US$280 million.
Aged care operator Estia Health Ltd (ASX: EHE) will likely be in focus again as well. The shares have crashed 32% so far this week on a string of bad news, including an earnings miss and the resignation of its founder.
Slater & Gordon Limited (ASX: SGH) has also been hit hard this week and may come under further pressure on Friday.
Meanwhile, the S&P Dow Jones Indices has announced some big changes to the constituents that will make up the ASX 200 index as of 16 September, 2016.
Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) and Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) are two of the big inclusions, while Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB) and Village Roadshow Ltd (ASX: VRL) will be removed. These changes could have a slight impact on their share prices as well.
3P Learning Ltd (ASX: 3PL) will also be removed from the S&P/ASX 300 cohort (along with a number of others), replaced by businesses such as Class Limited (ASX: CL1) and Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN).
