At lunch on Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a very strong gain. The benchmark index is currently up 1.6% to 6,816.4 points.
Here's what is happening on the market today:
Tech shares climb higher
The Australian tech sector is rebounding after a strong night of trade on the Nasdaq index on Friday. The likes of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Appen Limited (ASX: APX) are recording solid gains and are helping drive the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) higher. The technology index is up 1.6% at the time of writing.
ALS announces acquisition
The ALS Ltd (ASX: ALQ) share price is charging higher today after announcing a new acquisition. According to the release, the testing services company has acquired Investiga for an undisclosed fee. Investiga is a pharmaceutical testing business with operations in Brazil and the east coast of the United States. It specialises in the cosmetic and personal care market, providing services to a portfolio of major global clients. Investiga generated A$20 million of revenue in FY 2020.
Woolworths upgraded
The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is outperforming today. This has been driven by a broker note out of Goldman Sachs this morning. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the retail giant's shares to a buy rating with a $43.60 price target. Goldman notes that Woolworths' shares were trading at a 7% discount to the Industrials ex. Financials index. This compares to a longer term average premium of +12%.
Best and worst ASX 200 performers
The best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday has been the Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price with a 7% gain. This appears to have been driven by speculation the wine company could be takeover target. Going the other way, the Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ) share price is the worst performer on the index with a decline of 4%. This has been driven by its shares trading ex-dividend this morning for its 32 cents per share fully franked final dividend.
