Australian shares are flat as concerns about Chinese manufacturing and emerging markets continue to weaken mining and banking stocks.
Resource giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are lower after HSBC’s purchasing managers’ index showed factory activity in Australia’s biggest trading partner had contracted in January, the first monthly fall since July last year.
“In terms of the mining sector, it’s flat today. That’s where that data would have the biggest impact,” Australian Stock Report senior equities analyst Benny Sada said.
BHP Billiton was down 12 cents at $36.57, Rio Tinto was 14 cents weaker at $65.66, while iron ore miner Fortescue Metals was up 15 cents at $5.38.
The banks were mixed, as concerns linger about emerging markets, after Turkey and South Africa’s central banks this week raised interest rates.
“Generally when there’s any concerns over financial market instability, the banks are the first ones that take the heaviest punishment,” Mr Sada said.
“It is a worrying development, especially if these concerns spread to other emerging markets, with China obviously the key economy.”
National Australia Bank had shed nine cents to $33.18, Westpac had dropped 9.5 cents to $30.795, while Commonwealth Bank was up six cents at $74.26 and ANZ was up one cent at $30.06.
In the retail sector, David Jones shares had shot up by 13.5 cents to $3.005 after revealing it had recently been approached by rival Myer to consider a merger, which its board quickly rejected.
Myer shares were down half a cent at $2.565.
Coca-Cola Amatil was down 10 cents to $11.69, after the federal government’s rejection of its request for $25 million to assist a restructure of its fruit processing business SPC Ardmona.
KEY FACTS
* At 1200 AEDT on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 3.9 points, or 0.08 per cent, at 5,184.2 points.
* The broader All Ordinaries index was down one point, or 0.02 per cent, at 5,198.4 points.
* The March share price index futures contract was four points lower at 5,134 points, with 21,538 contracts traded.
* National turnover was 663 million securities worth 2.6 billion.
