Wesfarmers drags but ASX wobbles higher
Shares see-sawed before finishing in the black, after soft Chinese manufacturing data clashed with solid local retail sales growth.
Jessica Sier writes on business, markets, news and real estate. Based in our Sydney newsroom, Jessica is also a multimedia producer.
Shares see-sawed before finishing in the black, after soft Chinese manufacturing data clashed with solid local retail sales growth.
Investors bought up banks on Wednesday, but a good day failed to offset the worst month since January 2016.
Investors in local retailers might be in for another torrid time over the next half year, with consumers hamstrung by rising interest rates, rising petrol prices and rising utility bills.
After a miserable morning, the ASX enjoyed a 40-point rally, led by banks and miners.
With no overseas cues to guide investor sentiment, selling in the banks and miners dragged the ASX 200 down 0.8 per cent towards 5700 points.
Global political uncertainty and fully valued share markets have investors turning to long-term megatrends to secure attractive returns.
The sharemarket narrowed its weekly gain on Friday, with most sectors trading in the black over the five sessions.
Investors face deteriorating returns should restrictive immigration policy curb population growth.
Magellan boss Hamish Douglass expects Uber to collapse in the next decade and labels the ride-sharing firm a "Ponzi scheme".
The local sharemarket shrugged off a ratings downgrade to China and falling iron ore futures to push slightly higher on Wednesday.
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