The ASX is extending to 12-month lows at the open of trading on Monday, as fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could spiral into a regional conflict stirred oil prices and rattled US equity markets at the end of last week.
The S&P/ASX 200 opened 67 points, or 1 per cent, lower at 6759.4. The All Ordinaries is also down 1 per cent.
Early in trade, energy stocks are the worst hit, down 1.8 per cent. Healthcare stocks are also struggling, down 1.7 per cent, amid a 2.2 per cent decline in sector heavyweight CSL.
Materials is the only one of the 11 sectors pointing up, edging 0.3 per cent higher at the open.
With two days left of trading in October, the ASX is already down about 3 per cent over the month after charting losses in September and August.
Australia’s September retail sales are out at 11.30am. A survey of economists expects retail turnover to have increased 0.3 per cent month on month.
Gaza ground invasion spooks markets
Israeli forces waged ground operations against Hamas in Gaza on Sunday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the second phase of a war aimed at crushing the Palestinian militant group.
Oil prices climbed nearly 3 per cent on Friday on worries that a wider conflict could disrupt global crude supplies as the region is among the world’s top oil producers. Markets fear that Iran will be drawn into the fray.
Brent futures jumped 2.9 per cent to $US90.48 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude leapt 2.8 per cent to $US85.54 on Friday.
After opening decisively higher on a surge in Amazon, as well as Intel, news of the ground invasion knocked the wind out of Wall Street on Friday.
The Dow tumbled more than 360 points and the S&P 500 extended its drop from its July peak to 10.3 per cent – officially entering a correction. All three major US benchmarks shed at least 2 per cent over last week.
As of Friday, the reporting season had essentially reached the halfway point, with 245 of the companies in the S&P 500 having reported. Of those, 78 per cent have delivered consensus-beating earnings, Reuters said.
Analysts now expect aggregate annual S&P earnings growth of 4.3 per cent, a sharp improvement over the 1.6 per cent growth seen at the beginning of the month.
Stocks on the move
IGO is 5.16 per cent lower at $10.1. Volatility in the lithium sector is likely to hit IGO December sales, with lower prices already affecting the miner’s earnings in the September quarter, according to its latest market update.
Phil King’s Regal Partners has gained 0.8 per cent to $1.9 after confirming it is in talks to buy PM Capital, the funds house operated by Paul Moore.
Dan Murphy’s owner Endeavour Group is 1.59 per cent down to $4.94 after reporting steady revenues in the September quarter. The liquor retailer noted buyers were trading down to cheaper options.
West Australian miner Bellevue Gold is the best performing on the benchmark, up 2.19 per cent to $1.492. Bellevue is in the midst of ramping up production at its self-titled project after pouring its first gold last week.
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