AU Morning Wrap: ASX Rises; Origin Rejects 'Plan B' Proposal

The $S&P 500 Index(.SPX.US)$ edged lower 0.1 per cent. The $Dow Jones Industrial Average(.DJI.US)$ added 13 points, or less than 0.1 per cent. The tech-heavy $Nasdaq Composite Index(.IXIC.US)$ fell 0.2 per cent.

The benchmark $S&P/ASX 200(.XJO.AU)$ added 0.1 per cent, or 7.4 points to 7042.7 at the start of trade, buoyed by gains in the industrials sector. The Australian dollar dipped to US66.14¢.

$Origin Energy Ltd(ORG.AU)$: Origin Energy shares fell 2 per cent after it rejected the 'plan B' proposal lobbed by its suitors, Canada's Brookfield and its private equity partner EIG, as a last-ditch attempt to buy the ASX-listed electricity and gas giant.

$SkyCity Entertainment Group Ltd(SKC.AU)$: SkyCity Entertainment shares rallied 1.5 per cent after the High Court of New Zealand rule in favour of the casino operator's interpretation of a concession agreement with Macquarie over the termination of a 2019 deal to own and operate car parks at its flagship Auckland casino.

$Liontown Resources Ltd(LTR.AU)$: Liontown Resources edged lower 0.3 per cent. Former Fortescue Metals chief financial officer Ian Wells has been appointed to its board. Wells was the CFO of Fortescue until January this year, following his shock resignation.

$IRESS Ltd(IRE.AU)$: Financial services and data firm Iress surged 12.5 per cent after it upgraded its earnings guidance for financial year 2023 to $123 million to $128 million from $118 million to $122 million.

Trading Ex-div: $Aristocrat Leisure Ltd(ALL.AU)$, $Technology One Ltd(TNE.AU)$

Dividends Paid: $Bisalloy Steel Group Ltd(BIS.AU)$, $Copper Strike Ltd(CSE.AU)$, $Janus Henderson Group PLC(JHG.AU)$

Listing: $Freedom Care Group Holdings Ltd(FCG.AU)$