Off the wire
• News Analysis: Ghani's U.S. tour bearing burden to lower strains in Washington-Kabul relations  • Construction of Olympic golf course continues  • Miami Open WTA results  • S. Korea's economy grows 3.3 percent in 2014  • Chilean police seize cocaine disguised as onions  • Direct trade with China accounts for 5.5 pct of Australian GDP: report  • Xinhua China news advisory -- March 25  • China stock index futures open lower Wednesday  • China treasury bond futures open mixed Wednesday  • China stocks open mixed Wednesday  
You are here: 　 Home

Australian stocks open slightly higher

Xinhua, March 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Australian share market opened slightly higher on Wednesday despite weak results on Wall Street overnight.

At the official market open, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 16.9 points, or 0.28 percent, at 5,986 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index added 15.7 points, or 0.26 percent, to 5,950.2 points.

Utilities gained 0.79 percent as a sector. AusNet rose 1.42 percent while APA Group added 0.85 percent.

Energy stocks rose 0.3 percent with Oil Search up 0.39 percent, Santos adding 0.54 percent and Woodside Petroleum being flat.

Financials were up 0.29 percent with ANZ lifting 0.03 percent, the Commonwealth Bank adding 0.45 percent, the National Australia Bank edging up 0.1 percent while Westpac rose 0.25 percent.

Consumer staples were up 0.1 percent. Woolworths rose 0.24 percent while Wesfarmers shed 0.16 percent.

Materials rose 0.05 percent. BHP Billiton was up 0.1 percent while Rio Tinto fell 0.53 percent.

Meanwhile, Qantas added 1 percent and Telstra rose 0.39 percent. Endi