The ASX is lower in Friday morning trade with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) showing a fall of 0.32% at midday. Despite trading lower, the market has regained some composure after being down as much as 0.7% in early morning trade following a muted lead from Wall Street where stocks ended mixed.
The market has been influenced today by the release of the latest quarterly Statement on Monetary Policy by the Reserve Bank of Australia and further falls in the iron ore price which are weighing upon miners and has dragged the materials sector into the red.
Here are the top five best performing stocks in the index at midday today:
- Envestra Limited (ASX: ENV) has soared 17.7% to $1.33
- Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX: LYC) has rallied 7.7% to 14 cents
- Mount Gibson Iron Limited (ASX: MGX) has gained 4.7% to 77.5 cents
- Leighton Holdings Limited (ASX: LEI) has climbed 4.3% to $19.57
- JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) has risen 3% to $19.51
These are the five worst performing stocks at midday today:
- Arrium Ltd (ASX: ARI) has dropped 4.3% to $1.11
- Ten Network Holdings Limited (ASX: TEN) has lost 3.6% to 26.5 cents
- Skilled Group Ltd. (ASX: SKE) has fallen 3.6% to $2.70
- Evolution FPO (ASX: EVN) has declined 3% to 79.5 cents
- Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) has slipped 2.8% to $32.85