AU Evening Wrap: ASX Rises 0.2%; Pendal Jumps 10.5%, Webjet Soars 10.1%

Moomoo News AU wrote a column · Nov 17, 2022 00:45

G'day, mooers! Check out the latest news on today's stock market!
• ASX 200 closed up Thursday, gaining 13.50 points or 0.19% to 7,135.70.
• Top gainers: $Pendal Group Ltd(PDL.AU)$ $Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd(FPH.AU)$ $Summerset Group Holdings Ltd(SNZ.AU)$
• Top losers: $Whitehaven Coal Ltd(WHC.AU)$ $Paladin Energy Ltd(PDN.AU)$ $South32 Ltd(S32.AU)$
- moomoo News AU

The share market eked out its first advance in four sessions as jobs data underlined the strength of the economy while adding to pressure to raise interest rates.

Unemployment fell last month to its lowest level since 1974, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The $S&P/ASX 200(.XJO.AU)$ trimmed its rise to 13.5 points or 0.19 per cent as a string of economists tipped another rate hike next month.

Tech and defensive sectors kept the market on the right side of break-even. Resource stocks were the biggest drag in the wake of declines in crude and metals.

Online travel agent $Webjet Ltd(WEB.AU)$ soared 10.14 per cent on news first-half bookings were back to pre-pandemic levels.

$Altium Ltd(ALU.AU)$ firmed 2.38 per cent after reaffirming full-year revenue guidance of US$255-$265 million. The software maker expects underlying earnings margins of 35-37 per cent.

$Perpetual Ltd(PPT.AU)$ plunged 12.63 per cent after a court found the fund manager could be liable for more than a $23 million break fee if a proposed merger with Pendal does not proceed. Perpetual has been subject to recent takeover interest from a consortium including Regal Partners since the proposed merger was announced. Shares in $Pendal Group Ltd(PDL.AU)$ jumped 10.54 per cent on the ruling.

The exchange operator, $ASX Ltd(ASX.AU)$, fell 0.18 per cent after writing off up to $255 million on a botched attempt to update its ageing system for managing share transactions.

S&P/ASX 200 Movers for Thursday (17/11)