Market Open: ASX200 tipped for gains leading into Easter break

It’s set to be a strong run on market out of the March quarter and into the Easter break – the ASX200 tipped to add about three quarters of a per cent based on North American market performances.

The S&P500 broke its three-day fall to add 0.8 per cent and notch a record close, the Dow Jones was up nearly 1.2 per cent, led by stocks including drug manufacturer Merck which added nearly 5 per client.

The Nasdaq added 0.4 per cent – but was restrained by Nvidia’s more than 2.5 per cent fall.

Back home, job vacancy and retail sales data is due out from the Australian Bureau of Statistics later this morning.

In small cap stocks to watch, Fisher and Paykel (ASX:FPH) has initiated the voluntary recall of its Airvo 1 and Airvo 2 oxygen flow devices manufactured prior to August 2017. The recall is set to cost the company $12 million. The recall was not expected or included in the last financial guidance.

NickelSearch (ASX:NIS) has announced management changes: Nicole Duncan will step down as Managing Director citing ‘personal matters’, non-executive chairman Mark Connelly will become executive chair and Jon McLoughlin will become exploration manager.

And Argenica Therapeutics (ASX:AGN) has dosed the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial of ARG-007, a drug candidate to improve outcomes for stroke patients. The patient presented at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, one of three that’s now ready to dose under the trial.

One Aussie dollar is still at US65.3 cents.

Iron ore’s slipped more than 2.7 per cent to US$107.50 a tonne.

Gold has gained three quarters of a per cent to US$2194.84 an ounce, brent crude oil is at US$86.33 a barrel and natural gas is at US$1.71 per million British thermal units.