Futures have tipped the ASX200 to rise by about a quarter of a per cent – that number has been shifting around this morning as investors digest news a man’s in custody in the US after another assassination attempt on Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The secret service has seized weapons after shots were fired through wire fencing that surrounds a golf course in Florida. The suspect had set up about 300 metres from Donald Trump.
This political volatility follows a strong session on major US markets on Friday which closed higher with an interest rate cut expected later this week: The S&P 500 gained half a per cent, the Nasdaq 0.6% and the Dow Jones 0.7%.
Despite this, if futures are correct, Australian markets could today break above the previous record of 8114.7 points set last month.
In company news today: Auckland International Airport (ASX:AIA) announced a $1.3 billion capital raise in order to repay debt and fund capital investment, including a new domestic jet terminal, and, Australian gold miner Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX) has upped its production guidance to a possible 420,000 ounces – that could equate to 100,000 ounces more gold than in FY24.
To commodities all reported here in USD: Gold has been trading at $2578 an ounce, iron ore’s has been getting around $92.90 on the Singapore exchange, brent crude’s been priced at $71.80 a barrel and natural gas has been just below $2.30 a gigajoule ($2.29).
One Aussie dollar is buying 67 US cents.