By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 was higher in Thursday’s mid-morning deals, adding 20.60 points or 0.28% to 7,305.50 and extending gains of 0.5% in the previous session as market participants monitored fresh earnings reports both locally and in the U.S.
ASX 200 Futures were pointing 0.28% higher.
Among stocks, Health Care companies extended gains, with CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL) lifting 5.32% as analysts upgrade their forecasts following yesterday’s financial results. Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX:SHL) eased 0.11%, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd (ASX:FPH) lost 1.06%, Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX:RHC) added 0.37%, Resmed Inc DRC (ASX:RMD) lost 0.665 and Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX:PME) dipped 3.8%
Real estate stocks also gained, with Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) up 1.165, Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) adding 3.98%, Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX:SGP) up 0.25%, Lend Lease Group (ASX:LLC) adding 1.48% and Scentre Group Ltd (ASX:SCG) up 0.48%.
The Materials sector was about 1.08% higher, with Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) up 1.55%, BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) adding 1.92%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) slipping 0.28%, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) down 1.62%, Arizona Lithium Ltd (ASX:AZL) up 3.57%, Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE) dipping 2.19%, Magnis Resources Ltd (ASX:MNS) falling 3.09% and Avz Minerals Ltd (ASX:AVZ) dropping 1.24%.
Technology companies retreated 2%, with Block Inc (ASX:SQ2) down 5.73%, Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) falling 1.11%, Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) down 2.03%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) losing 2.01%, Novonix Ltd (ASX:NVX) shedding 3.83%, Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX:BRN) down 2.74%, Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO) dipping 2.34%, Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) falling 1.725 and Codan Ltd (ASX:CDA) down 6.55%.
Among reporting companies, Crown Ltd (ASX:CWN) was up 0.08% after reporting a $196 million statutory loss for the six months to December 31 as COVID-19 forced the casino group to close or restrict trading at its properties in Melbourne and Sydney. Crown’s chief executive Steve McCann noted that “Crown’s first half performance reflects the continued challenging operating conditions as a result of COVID-19 as well as the impact of ongoing regulatory matters.”
Meanwhile, Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) dipped 4% after reporting that their earnings slid 14.2% for the first half of the 2022 financial year.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were near fresh 6-month highs of 2.235%, while United States 10-Year yields were steady at 31-month highs of 2.024%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.47% to 12,180.