- The ASX200 is trading 0.85% higher at 7479.70 on Thursday.
- PointsBet dips despite signing exclusive agreement in Texas.
- Wesfarmers upped its acquisition bid to $1.55/share for API.
The Australian market is trading 0.85% higher at 7479.70 after lunch, with all sectors trading in the green in today?s session. Energy stocks are leading the gains today following a surge in energy stocks on Wall St overnight on the back of rising oil prices.
Australia?s unemployment rate fell to a 13-year low in August of 4.5%, its lowest level since before the global financial crisis, as many Aussies exited the jobs market and hundreds of thousands of people were working zero hours. Economists feared lockdowns would induce mass job losses, but the data out today indicates otherwise.
Tech stocks are trading higher today as Altium jumps 3.78%, Iress is up 2.43% and Nuix is rallying 1.82%.
Bitcoin is trading 1.61% higher over the last 24-hours at US$47,915.84 at 1pm AEST.
Australian-based online bookmaker PointsBet is trading in the red today despite announcing it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Texas MLS team Austin FC to be the team?s sportsbook partner. The deal follows PointsBet?s prior deal with the AFC stadium to be the venu?s exclusive partner for betting across Texas. The share price may be lower today as the Texas contract relies on existing sports betting laws being changed in the state.
Making headlines, Wesfarmers has increased its bid to acquire Priceline pharmacy owner, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API). After API rejected Wesfarmers? first offer of acquisition at $1.38/share in July, Wesfarmers upped its offer to acquire 100% of API?s remaining shares for $1.55/share, a 22% premium on API?s closing price on Wednesday.
And SpaceX launched its first all-civilian flight into space to orbit the Earth for 3-days, taking the crew into the deepest orbit any Americans have traveled in more than a decade.