Australia is just a bit higher, with the banks and gold miners carrying the S&P/ASX 200 to a 0.1% gain .
ANZ and NAB up 0.4% each, Westpac up 0.3%, and CBA up 0.1% — and the gold extractors: Newcrest up 4.8%, Evolution up 5%, Kingsgate up 1.6%.
The latter group is holding on to gains for gold, but such is not the case for iron ore, with spot prices on the retreat. This, in turn, translates to a 1.1% loss for Fortescue and a 2.1% drop for Atlas Iron. Meanwhile, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are down 0.4% apiece.
Ah, but then there’s Goodman Fielder, trading more than 18% higher at 65 Australian cents (60 U.S. cents). This, after the food producer said it got and rejected a 65-Australian-cent-a-share bid from Wilmar.
ANZ and NAB up 0.4% each, Westpac up 0.3%, and CBA up 0.1% — and the gold extractors: Newcrest up 4.8%, Evolution up 5%, Kingsgate up 1.6%.
The latter group is holding on to gains for gold, but such is not the case for iron ore, with spot prices on the retreat. This, in turn, translates to a 1.1% loss for Fortescue and a 2.1% drop for Atlas Iron. Meanwhile, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are down 0.4% apiece.
Ah, but then there’s Goodman Fielder, trading more than 18% higher at 65 Australian cents (60 U.S. cents). This, after the food producer said it got and rejected a 65-Australian-cent-a-share bid from Wilmar.