Crikey

The market is down 87 compared to the 24 point fall the SFE Futures predicting this morning. The market popping 20 points on the end of day match out yesterday hasn’t helped our performance this morning — seems we have lost that end of financial year window dressing on the open.

Wall St. fell 82 overnight. Dow up 31 at best and down 135 at worst. Consumer confidence numbers came in below expectations. S&P 500 up 17% in the quarter. Best quarter since 1998. Follows a 12% fall in Q1 and 24% in Q4. Metals down. Oil price down and Gold also down.

The All Ords lost 26% from June to June or 1402 points. 14 stocks accounted for 50% of the fall. It was the fourth worst financial year since 1936 beaten only by 1982, 1952 and 1974.

In the news today…

• Alliances Resources (AGS) out of a trading halt. Shareholders took up 52% of the shares offered under the Rights Issue, leaving a shortfall of 12.57m shares.
• Asciano Group (AIO) has successfully completed the initial allotment of 310.37m new shares under the institutional component of the entitlement offer.
• BHP Billiton (BHP) said it will stop producing rod and billet from its Bayside aluminium smelter.
• Boom Logistics (BOL) in a Trading Halt.
• Cabcharge Australia (CAB) say the legal proceeding initiated by the ACCC should be have a material effect on its business.
• Commonwealth Property (CPA) has sold its 300 Queen St. property in Brisbane for $110m.
• Downer EDI (DOW) has appointed Grant Fenn as its CFO.
• Minemakers (MAK) has provided an update on its takeover offer for Bonaparte Diamond Mines.
• Mount Gibson Iron (MGX) has completed a restructure of its US$ foreign exchange hedge book, which now totals $US335.1m.
• Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI) has completed an expansion of its Dalrymple Bay coal terminal in QLD state, increasing its capacity by around 50%.
• Boart Longyear (BLY) has sold its South African Manufacturing Operations.
• PanAust (PNA) has retired its $US80m subordinated debt facility with JB Were.
• Australand Property (ALZ) has extended its $950m multi option facility until June 18, 2011.

In other news…

• May Retail Sales numbers up 1.0% - higher than the expected +0.5%.
• May Building Approvals numbers collapse 12.5% against the expected +3.3%.
• Street Talk suggest Oz Minerals could be bid for now that is doesn’t have any debt, has US$575m in the bank and is currently without a CEO. Anglo American a possible bidder even though Anglo is currently being bid for by Xstrata. OZL down 2c to 90c today.
• According to Bloomberg the ANZ Bank is in advanced talks to buy the retail and commercial banking operations of RBS Equities in at least 5 Asian countries..
• Clive Peeters (CPR) has abandoned the strategic review it began back in February this year saying it failed to find “an acceptable outcome”. Price down 14% to 15.5c.

The Dow Futures suggest a 3 point gain on Wall St. tonight.

MARCUS PADLEY is the Author of the MARCUS TODAY Daily Stockmarket Newsletter.

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