The ASX200 is up nearly half a per cent.
It’s been a mixed bag mid-session: financials and industrials are up around a per cent, whilst consumer staples has shed nearly 2.5%
Australia’s March trade surplus has clocked its lowest value since November of 2020 as exports grew at a softer rate than imports. Shipments increased only 0.1% month-on-month, while imports hit a record high of 4.2% at A$39.9B
The total number of dwellings in Australia increased 1.9% in March after a -0.9% decrease in February.
Approvals for private dwellings increased 3.8% – along with private attached dwellings coming off the worst February since 2012.
Oxford Economics noted that total dwelling approvals are still well below Canberra’s housing targets for the nation.
Company News
Woolworths Group (ASX:WOW) is down 5% on its quarterly results.
The company posted a modest rise of 2.8% in overall sales for the third quarter of the 2024 Financial Year, although a fall of 4.1% in sales at Big W proved to be a sobering statistic.
Big W sales were down 4.1% to $1 billion – from $1.046 billion the same time last year.
Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci, said the results indicated greater caution on behalf of more prudent customers, but spending was expected to improve as inflation moderates.
WOW has been trading at $30.60.
Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is up more than 10%after securing West Australian government funding to test two prioritised copper-gold targets within its Yerrida North project north of Perth.
GTE has been trading at 6.2 cents.
And digital healthcare pioneer BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) has partnered with US-based Turning Pointe Autism Foundation to conduct a clinical study on autism diagnostics ahead of its FDA registration study later in the year.
Using smartphones, BlinkLab is hoping to integrate its innovative neurobehavioral tests into Turning Pointe’s programs, via tests which will fast track autism diagnosis.
BB1 has been trading at 31 cents.