The ASX has taken its lead from Wall Street, where after opening well into the red U.S. stocks staged a comeback; the Dow Jones and S&P 500 both finished the session higher overnight with gains of 0.11% and 0.19% respectively.
At midday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) was 0.22% higher.
A consumer confidence indicator from ANZ-Roy Morgan showed confidence at its lowest levels in five-years of data, however all eyes are on the Reserve Bank of Australia which is due to release its decision on monetary policy this afternoon.
Most sectors are higher with the exception of the materials sector which has been dragged down by gold stocks and the major miners; the property sector is lower too.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index at midday today:
- Acrux Limited (ASX: ACR) is up 4.5% to $1.04
- Ten Network Holdings Limited (ASX: TEN) has gained 3.8% to 27.5 cents
- M2 Group Ltd (ASX: MTU) has climbed 3.5% to $5.67
- Pacific Brands Limited (ASX: PBG) has added 3.4% to 51.2 cents
- Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) has risen 3% to $53.40
These are the five worst performing stocks at midday today:
- Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX: LYC) is down 3% to 16 cents
- Transfield Services Limited (ASX: TSE) has fallen 2.3% to $1.05
- Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ASX: BEN) has dropped 2.1% to $11.15
- PanAust Limited (ASX: PNA) has lost 1.9% to $1.57
- Incitec Pivot Limited (ASX: IPL) has slipped 1.7% to $2.86
