News: Midday: ASX back in the red & AUD lifts

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The local share market is trading lower today to snap a brief two day rally that investors had hoped would reverse some of last week’s major losses, the local bourse is down a little over 0.6 per cent at midday.

 

More worrying signs from China were a drag today as were weak leads from Wall street.

 

The weakness saw the Aussie dollar surge above $US0.81 as analysts predict US interest rates won’t be rising earler than the end of 2015.

 

The S&P/ASX 200 index is 37 points down at 5,678. On the futures market the SPI is 32 points lower. 

 

Company news

 

Sydney Airport Holdings Limited (ASX:SYD) outlined $1.2 billion in capital expenditure over five years as part of its annual general meeting today. Chairman Max Moore-Wilton says the expenditure includes $241 million invested in facilities on the ground. CEO Kerrie Mather discussed the successful transfer of duty free operations to Heinemann with a flurry of work installing new fit-outs and stock in one night’s work. Shares in Sydney Airport are trading down 1.99 per cent at $5.17 

 

Shares in ResMed Inc (ASX:RMD) have sunk today on troubling news from its SERVE HF clinical trial which showed few gains for patients and a potential increase risk of death. The company says ASV flow generators make up only 7 per cent of revenue, and that around 25 per cent were prescribed to patients with relevant heart failure issues which greatly reduces the number of their patients affected. New labelling for AV devices is being worked on to highlight the risk to those with specific heart failure issues. Shares in ResMed are trading down 17.82 per cent at $6.78.

 

Best and worst performers

All major sectors are down today, the sector with the least losses is industrials, losing 0.3 per cent to 4,758. Shares in Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) have risen 5.59 per cent and trading at $3.78. Shares in ALS Limited (ASX:ALQ) and McMillan Shakespeare Limited (ASX:MMS) are also stronger. 

 

The worst performing sector is healthcare, falling 1.4 per cent to 18,051. Shares in ResMed Inc (ASX:RMD) have fallen 17.82 per cent, trading at $6.78. Shares in Regis Healthcare Limited (ASX:REG) and Greencross Limited (ASX:GXL) are also lower.

 

Gold and the dollar

Gold is trading at $US1,213 an ounce.

The Australian dollar is buying $US0.8146