By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 added 29 points or 0.39% to 7489.9 in Monday’s session, snapping 5 sessions of consecutive losses and partially recovering from a 2.2% plunge in the previous week following mixed reactions amid a slew of corporate earnings results, while fears of a worsening domestic coronavirus situation also sapped risk appetite.
New South Wales reported a near record 818 fresh cases today, retreating slightly from fresh record numbers posted over the weekend as health authorities further tightened restrictions, while Victoria reported 71 fresh cases, the ACT added 16 cases and Queensland recorded a single locally acquired case in home quarantine.
Among stocks, Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX:SHL) plunged 3.13% after reporting results, while Ampol Ltd (ASX:ALD) plummeted 4.76% to 15-week lows after results. Meantime, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) added 6.49% after reporting and Latitude Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:LFS) closed 3% higher as earnings came in above expectations.
Among data, preliminary readings from IHS markit showed that Services PMI fell to 43.3, the lowest reading since May 2020, while the Manufacturing PMI declined to 51.7, the slowest growth in factory activity since March 2020, amid protracted lockdown restrictions across the country amid the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 123.58 points or 0.95% to 13064.07.