AU Morning Wrap: Miners Lift Shares; NextDC Jumps on Customer Wins

The $S&P 500 Index(.SPX.US)$ was nearly unchanged, shedding 0.17 point to close at 4108.94. Meanwhile, the Russell 2000 index climbed 14.15 points, 0.8%, to 1786.59, the second consecutive session that shares of smaller companies outperformed those of larger firms.

The $Dow Jones Industrial Average(.DJI.US)$ climbed 98.27 points, or 0.3%, to end at 33684.79. The $Nasdaq Composite Index(.IXIC.US)$ fell 52.48 points, 0.43%, to 12031.88.

$Nextdc Ltd(NXT.AU)$ shares are up 8.2 per cent to $12.03 in early trade after the data centre operator told the market new customer wins have increased demand at its Sydney data centres.

The $S&P/ASX 200(.XJO.AU)$ is up 0.41 per cent thanks to gains among the tech and mining sectors. $BHP Group Ltd(BHP.AU)$, $Fortescue Ltd(FMG.AU)$ and $Rio Tinto Ltd(RIO.AU)$ are all higher, with NextDC helping the tech sector add 1.1 per cent.

$Whitehaven Coal Ltd(WHC.AU)$ is down 5 per cent to $6.60 after it cut production guidance for the March quarter and full financial year 2023. It also raised cost guidance and blamed operating problems at its Maules Creek min

$Patriot Lithium Ltd(PAT.AU)$: Nicholas Vickery has officially started as chief executive at Canadian lithium explorer Patriot Lithium.

$WAM Capital Ltd(WAM.AU)$: WAM Leaders, the large-cap fund run by Geoff Wilson's eponymous investment management group, is raising $100 million through a placement of 67.6 million shares to wholesale investors.

$Macquarie Group Ltd(MQG.AU)$: Macquarie Group is considering selling a portfolio of nine highway projects in India and may seek at least $US1.5 billion ($2.3 billion), according people familiar with the situation.

Trading Ex-div: $WAM Microcap Ltd(WMI.AU)$, $Future Generation Australia Ltd(FGX.AU)$, $WAM Global Ltd(WGB.AU)$

Dividends Paid: $Brambles Ltd(BXB.AU)$, $Pacific Current Group Ltd(PAC.AU)$, $iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (AU)(IVE.AU)$, $TPG Inc(TPG.US)$, $Solvar Ltd(SVR.AU)$, $Qube Holdings Ltd(QUB.AU)$, $Peet Ltd(PPC.AU)$, $Woolworths Group Ltd(WOW.AU)$, $Emeco Holdings Ltd(EHL.AU)$