By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The ASX 200 was little changed at 7,587.90 in Wednesday’s mid-morning deals, holding near fresh 5-month highs as investors tracked a mixed session on Wall Street overnight, with rising long term bond yields lifting financials and punishing tech companies.
ASX 200 Futures were pointing 0.31% higher.
Among stocks, financial stocks were higher as Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) added 1.95% to extend fresh records, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX:CBA) lifted 0.47%, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) gained 0.54% and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) added 0.83%.
Technology names were hit, with Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) down 1.8%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) falling 0.89%, Altium Ltd (ASX:ALU) down 2.17%, Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO) dipping 2.7%, Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) falling 2.27% and Technology One Ltd (ASX:TNE) down 2.68%.
Buy now, pay later stocks were among the biggest laggard as Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX:APT) declined 3.6% and Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) dropped 4.1%.
Meantime, oil stocks were higher as prices gained after OPEC agreed to a planned production increase on the assessment that Omicron would not significantly hurt demand for energy. Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX:WPL) lifted 0.35%, Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) added 1.21% and APA Group (ASX:APA) gained 4.99%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were higher at 1.76% while United States 10-Year yields were near fresh 3-month highs of 1.649%.
In New Zealand, NZX 50 was up 0.13% to 13,051.