Hong Kong tensions ease, commodities gain: ASX poised to open higher

Following positive leads from US markets, the Australian share market looks set to open higher this morning as fresh Chinese economic data lifted commodities. Hong Kong saw movement when leader Carrie Lam said that she will withdraw a bill that sparked the mass protests. The Hang Seng soared around 4 per cent.

Local economic news

International Trade in Goods and Services, July 2019

Markets

Wall Street closed higher yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.9 per cent to close at 26,355, the S&P 500 closed 1.1 per cent higher at 2938 and the NASDAQ added 1.3 per cent to 7977.

European markets closed higher : Paris gained 0.6 per cent and Frankfurt jumped 1.2 per cent while London’s FTSE added almost 1 per cent.

Asian markets closed higher: Tokyo’s Nikkei added 0.1 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 3.9 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite closed 0.9 per cent higher.

Taking all of this into equation, the SPI futures are pointing to a 0.3 per cent gain.

Yesterday, the Australian share market closed 20 points or 0.3 per cent lower at 6553.

Company news

Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) has launched a new institutional mandate and joint venture called the Australian Diversified Healthcare Fund. The partners aim to create a $500 million healthcare real estate portfolio with seed assets of $88 million – that's the the Mater Private Hospital in Townsville QLD and The Westside Private Hospital in Brisbane. Centuria Heathley currently manages over $600 million of assets across a spectrum of healthcare segments including medical centres, day hospitals and tertiary aged care and has strategic relationships with a range of specialist healthcare operators with a further identified pipeline of $400 million. Centuria will co-invest up to $15 million in ADHF as its portfolio grows. Shares in Centuria Capital Group (ASX:CNI) closed 1.86 per cent higher at $2.19 yesterday.

Currencies

One Australian Dollar at 7:40AM was buying 67.96US cents, 55.48Pence Sterling, 72.30 Yen and 61.61 Euro cents.

Commodities

Iron Ore futures suggest a 3.2 per cent gain.
Gold has gained $5.70 to US$1562 an ounce.
Silver has added $0.45 cents to US$19.69 an ounce.
Oil has gained $2.04 to US$55.98 a barrel.

Ex-Dividends
Air New Zealand (ASX:AIZ) is paying 10.3999 cents unfranked
Ariadne Australia (ASX:ARA) is paying 1 cent 70 per cent franked
ASX Limited (ASX:ASX) is paying 243.4 centsfully franked
AVJennings Limited (ASX:AVJ) is paying 1.5 cents fully franked
BHP Group Limited (ASX:BHP) is paying 114.9934 cents fully franked
Beacon Lighting Grp (ASX:BLX) is paying 2 cents fully franked
Class Limited (ASX:CL1) is paying 2.5 cents fully franked
Corp Travel Limited (ASX:CTD) is paying 22 cents 50 per cent franked
Decmil Group Limited (ASX:DCG) is paying 2 cents fully franked
Engenco Limited (ASX:EGN) is paying 1.5 cents fully franked
FlexiGroup Limited (ASX:FXL) is paying 3.85 cents fully franked
GTN Limited (ASX:GTN) is paying 3.2 cents 70 per cent franked
Monash IVF Group Ltd (ASX:MVF) is paying 3 cents fully franked
Midway Ltd (ASX:MWY) is paying 9 cents fully franked
NZK Salmon Ltd (ASX:NZK) is paying 2.8137 cents unfranked
1300 Smiles Limited (ASX:ONT) is paying 12.5 cents fully franked
Pacific Grp Ltd (ASX:PAC) is paying 15 cents fully franked
Platinum Asia Ltd (ASX:PAI) is paying 2 cents fully franked
Peopleinfrastructure (ASX:PPE) is paying 4.5 cents fully franked
Ramsay Health Care (ASX:RHC) is paying 91.5 cents fully franked
Resimac Grp Ltd (ASX:RMC) is paying 1.5 cents fully franked
SDI Limited (ASX:SDI) is paying 1.5 cents fully franked
Spheria Emerging Co (ASX:SEC) is paying 4 cents fully franked
Schaffer Corp. Ltd (ASX:SFC) is paying 40 cents fully franked
Servcorp Limited (ASX:SRV) is paying 10 cents 60 per cent franked
Steamships Trading (ASX:SST) is paying 9.2998 cents unfranked
Templeton Global (ASX:TGG) is paying 5 cents fully franked
Think Childcare Ltd (ASX:TNK) is paying 2 cents fully franked
Universal Coal PLC (ASX:UNV) is paying 1 cent unfranked
Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) is paying 30 cents 21.66 per cent franked
Yancoal Aust Ltd (ASX:YAL) is paying 10.35 cents unfranked