The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is expected to slide further today, despite the lead set by Wall Street overnight.
Here's a quick recap of how international markets performed:
- FTSE 100 (UK): down 0.78%
- DAX (Germany): up 0.14%
- CAC 40 (France): down 0.24%
- Dow Jones (USA): up 0.25%
- NASDAQ (USA): up 0.5%
The Australian dollar surged higher overnight and is again fetching nearly US77 cents after the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates on hold yesterday.
That could impact companies that are vulnerable to swings in the exchange rate, including the likes of Westfield Corp Ltd (ASX: WFD), Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) and Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH).
BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) could come under pressure as well after iron ore and oil prices slid overnight. Meanwhile, an article in The Australian Financial Review suggests there are "danger signs" in the miner's share price, which could weigh on investor confidence.
The same AFR article also suggested there could be further upside for the gold miners, and they could be right – at least for today. The spot gold price surged 1.6% higher overnight to almost US$1,350 an ounce which should support shares of businesses such as St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM), Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and EVOLUTION FPO (ASX: EVN).
That said, investors do need to be careful not to become too confident in the gold miners. A sudden dip in the gold price could weigh heavily on shares in the sector.
Estia Health Ltd (ASX: EHE), Japara Healthcare Limited (ASX: JHC) and Regis Healthcare Limited (ASX: REG) will be in focus again today. The three aged care operators were savaged on Monday, but recovered slightly on Tuesday. Their future remains unclear, however, and some investors may choose to take their money off the table.
Finally, Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP) could also receive some attention. An article in The AFR noted the potential resurgence of Pizza Hut, a competitor of Domino's. That said, Domino's has a strong track record, so investors are unlikely to be too fazed by the threat at this stage.