The Australian share market or S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX: XJO)(ASX: XJO) index is expected to open a tiny bit higher Friday morning, according to data from the Sydney Futures Exchange, with Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) in the news.
Here’s the key headline data:
SFE ASX 200 futures: +12 points
Australian Dollar ($A) (AUDUSD): 75 US cents
Dow Jones (DJI): flat
Oil (WTI): $US68.46 per barrel
Gold: $US1,313 per ounce
Overnight, London-listed shares of BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) finished down 0.2% and down 0.7%, respectively, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Australian Investing News
Making news in Australia, this morning, Australia’s largest investment bank, Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), released its preliminary annual report for 2018.
In the year to March 31, 2018, Macquarie reported revenue of $10.9 billion, up 5.4% from its result in 2017. Macquarie’s profit came in at $2.56 billion, up 15.3% over the prior period.
“FY18 highlighted the strength of Macquarie’s global platform, the diversity of its business mix and ongoing ability to adapt to changing market conditions and client needs,” Macquarie CEO, Nicholas Moore said.
The investment bank announced a final dividend of $3.20 with 45% franking.
In international news, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK) hosts its 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting this weekend (Australian time).
Australian-based viewers can watch a live stream of the Berkshire event on Yahoo!Finance. Last year, 17.1 million people tuned in for various parts of the AGM. Rask Media believes the event will be worth staying up for the 11.45pm start.
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