The Australian All Ordinaries closed flat today at 5,295 points despite the Australian Bureau of Statistics posting international trade balance figures that revealed higher exports and the narrowest trade deficit since March for the local economy.
Mining was among the strongest performing groups in the quiet session, with the materials sector up 0.9%.
Health care stocks receded 0.2% on the day but one life sciences company managed to keep its momentum up.
MARKET ACTION
Proteomics International Laboratories (ASX:PIQ) shares added another 8.6% in value to A$0.44, marking a 134% increase over the past five months.
Trading coincided with an update from the company on its international marketing and publicity efforts over the past two weeks, including forays into China, South Korea and the U.S.
This work took the form of discussions on potential licensing and funding partners in Shanghai, exposure for the company’s leading proteomics-based technology in Seoul and business development progress for biosimilars and analytical services in Baltimore.
International marketing and brand exposure efforts helped earn Proteomics the prestigious Health and Biotechnology Export Award last month at the Western Australian 2015 Industry and Export Awards.
This award recognised Proteomics’ progress over the year in internationalising its products and addressing cross-border trends in protein-based drug markets. It also validated the company’s world-leading expertise and capabilities in the industrial-scale study of the structure and function of proteins.
Proteomics’ recent efforts to consolidate its Asian marketing connections are particularly important since the growing rate of diabetes in this region creates a key market for the company’s predictive and diagnostic test for diabetic kidney disease known as PromarkerD.
BLUE CHIPS
Major miners
BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) up 1.6% to $23.40
Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG) up 2.1% to $2.14
Newcrest (ASX:NCM) up 1.4% to $12.23
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) up 0.3% to $50.76
Energy or Oil and Gas
Oil Search (ASX:OSH) up 0.7% to $7.96
Santos (ASX:STO) down 3.2% to $6.01
Woodside Petroleum (ASX:WPL) up 0.1% to $30.31
Big 4 banks
ANZ Bank (ASX:ANZ) down 0.7% to $26.80
Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) up 0.0% to $76.47
National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) down 0.4% to $29.98
Westpac (ASX:WBC) down 0.1% to $31.26
Other banks, financials and industrials
AMP (ASX:AMP) down 0.2% to $5.80
Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) down 1.1% to $12.80
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (ASX:BEN) down 1.4% to $10.51
Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) down 0.0% to $82.91
Suncorp (ASX:SUN) down 0.1% to $13.08
Telstra (ASX:TLS) down 1.3% to $5.33
Retailers
JB Hi-FI (ASX:JBH) down 0.6% to $17.71
Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) up 0.2% to $39.21
Woolworths (ASX:WOW) up 0.2% to $23.94
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