At lunch on Friday the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is on course to finish the week on a positive note. At the time of writing the benchmark index is up 0.45% to 6,166.4 points.
Here's what has been happening on the market today:
Bank shares push higher.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), and the rest of the big four have pushed higher on Friday. All four banks are up at least 0.5% at lunch, with ANZ leading the pack with a 1% gain.
Webjet continues to soar.
The Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) share price has built on yesterday's impressive rise with another strong gain on Friday. The online travel agent's shares are up over 10% at lunch as investors fight to get hold of its shares following the release of a strong half year result on Thursday.
InvoCare shares surge higher.
The InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) share price has raced 9% higher following the release of the funeral company's full year results. Although InvoCare posted a massive 22.1% decline in operating earnings after tax and slashed its final dividend, the market appears pleased with management's outlook. Improved trading in the fourth quarter and in January is "pointing towards the market normalising."
WiseTech Global slides lower.
The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price has continued its slide and is down a further 4% to $19.07. The logistic platform provider's shares have come under pressure since its guidance for the full year fell short of the market's lofty expectations. The WiseTech Global share price is now down approximately 17% in the space of three days.
Best and worst performers.
The best performer on the ASX 200 at lunch is the Webjet share price with its 10% gain, closely followed by InvoCare with its 9% gain, and then the Automotive Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: AHG) share price with an 7.5% gain following its half year update. Going the other way is the Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price which has tumbled 6% lower. The lithium miner released its half year results this morning and revealed a sharp drop in lithium prices for the March quarter.
