After starting the trading session in positive territory the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has been unable to hold the gains and is down 0.2% at lunchtime. Wall Street bounced back over night after Monday's heavy falls, however the local bourse has failed to follow the U.S. lead with the resources, healthcare and financial sectors all dragging the ASX down.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index at midday.
- Energy World Corporation Ltd. (ASX: EWC) has gained 7.7% to 35 cents
- REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) has climbed 3.5% to $45.33
- Monadelphous Group Limited (ASX: MND) has added 3.1% to $15.14
- JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) has risen 2.8% to $19.02
- Aurora Oil & Gas Limited (ASX: AUT) is up 2.2% to $2.75
These stocks are the losers so far today.
- Acrux Limited (ASX: ACR) is down 9.1% to $1.89
- Sirius Resources N.L. (ASX: SIR) has slipped 4% to $2.065
- Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB) has lost 3.4% to $5.67
- Skilled Group Ltd. (ASX: SKE) has dropped 3.3% to $2.68
- Decmil Group Limited (ASX: DCG) has fallen 2.3% to $1.895
The top ASX pick you've never heard of…
Top Motley Fool analysts just identified their #1 ASX pick for 2014, a small-cap stock that could be poised for big gains (and offers a fat, fully franked dividend!). Discover all the details now, including the name and code, in this FREE investment report, "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014."
Motley Fool contributor Tim McArthur does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article.
