Market close: Shares close higher

Wednesday 24th September 2008

The sharemarket rose slightly today with the NZSE50 up 0.98% to end the day at 3,259.

Top stock Telecom climbed 1.4% and Fletcher Building increased 1.2%, but second-ranked Contact Energy lost 1.2%.

The retail sector was positive with Michael Hill jumping 8.0%, Hallenstein Glasson surging 3.3%, Pumpkin Patch climbing 1.5%, and the Warehouse Group rising 1.0%.

Other major gainers included Goodman Fielder up 7.56%, Telstra Corporation up 6.85%, ProvencoCadmus up 6.67%, Briscoe Group up 5.75%, Turners Auctions up 4.29%, SkyCity 2.0%, Air New Zealand 1.9%, and Guinness Peat Group 4.1%.

Among major losers, Heritage Gold was down 14.81%, Methven down 6.45%, L & M Petroleum down 5%, Hellaby Holdings down 3.90%, Renaissance Corporation down 3.57%, Fisher & Paykel Appliances lost 1.2%, Rakon gave away 1.6%, and Steel & Tube Holdings tumbled 2.6%.

Lombard Group, whose main operating unit was put in receivership by its trustee, is today considering whether to de-list from the NZX or be sold. Shares of Lombard last traded at three cents on Sept. 12 and have declined 96% this year.

Austral Pacific, an oil and gas explorer whose shares have tumbled 72% this year, will consider asset sales, mergers or new capital raising as part of a strategic review. Austral Pacific shares were down 19.51% today.

Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX200 index had risen 58.4 points, or 1.2%, to 4981.9, while the broader All Ordinaries lifted 50.5 points, or 1%, to 5008.2.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 161.52 points, or 1.47%, to 10,854.17.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slumped 25.64 points, or 1.18%, to 2,153.34 and the broad-market Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 18.87 points, or 1.56%, to a close of 1,188.22.

NZ Top 50	3,259.679	+31.490 (+0.98%)
ASX 200	4,981.900	+58.400 (+1.19%)
Dow	10,854.17	-161.52 (-1.47%)
Nasdaq	2,153.33	-25.65 (-1.18%)
FTSE 100	5,136.12	-100.14 (-1.91%)

AIA	2.08	+0.03
AIR	1.05	+0.02
AMP	8.75	+0.05
ANZ	22.38	+0.10
APN	3.85	0.00
APT	1.11	-0.03
CAV	2.77	+0.01
CEN	8.55	-0.05
EBO	4.41	-0.01
FBU	7.39	+0.09
FPA	1.69	-0.01
FPH	3.04	+0.03
FRE	3.39	+0.03
GFF	1.73	+0.01
GMT	1.22	+0.01
GPG	1.27	+0.05
HLG	2.70	0.00
IFT	2.06	-0.01
IMP	1.12	+0.02
ING	0.72	0.00
KIP	1.18	-0.04
LNN	10.50	0.00
MFT	6.80	0.00
MHI	0.76	+0.01
MVN	1.45	-0.10
NPX	6.15	-0.07
NZO	1.39	-0.01
NZR	6.64	+0.14
NZS	1.35	+0.02
NZX	6.50	+0.05
PFI	1.13	-0.02
PGW	2.10	0.00
POT	6.50	0.00
PPL	1.37	+0.01
PRC	1.52	0.00
RAK	2.48	-0.01
RYM	1.70	+0.01
SAN	5.80	+0.17
SKC	3.61	+0.06
SKL	0.90	+0.03
SKT	4.51	+0.01
STU	3.08	-0.04
TEL	2.85	+0.05
THL	1.30	0.00
TLS	5.25	+0.29
TPW	8.00	0.00
TWR	1.82	0.00
VCT	2.19	0.00
WBC	30.06	+0.56
WHS	3.17	+0.03

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