- ASX200 is trading 0.59% higher at 7438.10 after lunchtime.
- Freelancer tumbles 15% on disappointing first half results.
- Starpharma rallies on update of Viraleze in treating Delta COVID variant.
The Australian market is trading 0.59% higher after lunchtime at a new record 7438.10, as the materials, resources and metals and mining sectors boost the key index into record territory.
The tech sector continues to trade in the red weighed down by Codan shedding 3.07%, Nuix falling 2.61% and Afterpay trading 1.71% lower.
Bitcoin has pulled back from its overnight surge to trade 3.97% lower in the last 24-hours at US$36,622.17 at 1:15pm AEST.
Global freelancing and outsourcing jobs marketplace Freelancer is plummeting more than 15% today after releasing first half results. For the period, Freelancer reported group net revenue had fallen 5.7% from the prior corresponding period to $27.8m and a net loss after tax of $1.6m.
Making headlines, Australian-based biopharmaceutical company Starpharma is rallying today after providing another update on its SPL7013 antiviral agent, revealing new antiviral testing has shown that SPL7013, the antiviral agent in Starpharma?s Viraleze nasal spray, has potent virucidal activity against the Delta strain of COVID-19. The company reported ?the rapid virucidal activity of SPL7013 with a 99.99% reduction of infectious virus in just 30 seconds against the Delta variant?.
And Ford announced it will deploy autonomous Ford Escapes for defined zones in Miami for ride-hail company Lyft to offer users self-driving services for their ride-hail journeys by the end of this year.