Caltex Australia

Yesterday, the Australian share market closed higher on the back of stronger commodity prices. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 49 points, or 1.29 per cent, at 3856, while the broader-based All Ordinaries index gained 49.3 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 3851.5 points.

Australian shares market yesterday was buoyed by the news Rio Tinto reached a better than expected iron ore price agreement with Japan's Nippon Steel. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 50.5 points, or 1.4 per cent, at 3788.4, while the broader All Ordinaries index rose 46.3 points, or 1.2 per cent, to 3781.6.

Yesterday the Australian shares market appeared to be decoupled from Wall Street. The local shares shrugged off the bad lead of US stocks and finished firmer with rising in all sub-sectors, as traders put more of their attention to the local news. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 was up 2%, or 74.8 points, at 3743, while the broader All Ordinaries surged 1.9%, or 68.6 points, at 3695.8.

The Australian shares ended higher yesterday on the back of some better-than-expected earnings reports. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 35.7 points, or 1.1%, to 3448.9, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 31.1 points or 0.9% to 3398.

Yesterday the Australian stock market closed nearly 1% higher with gains in banking and resource sectors. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index ended up 32.4 points, or 0.9%, at 3687 and the broader All Ordinaries index was up 30.4 points, or 0.9%, at 3624.3. Earlier, the market had sunk into negative territory. Today's focus will be the official unemployment figures for December 2008 which are expected to rise on the deepened credit crisis.

Yesterday the Australian shares ended flat as weaker Commonwealth Bank and energy stocks weighed on the market. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 10.6 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 3,581.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 6.7 points, or 0.19 per cent, to 3,521.7. It could be fairly quiet during the pre-Christmas sessions. But the local market may be hit by the dropping commodities prices and the fears on US auto industry as US government has admitted that orderly bankruptcy can be one of the options for the troubled automakers.

Yesterday, the Australian share market closed lower after falls from the financial sector, with Babcock & Brown (ASX:BNB) suffering a heavy loss amid a drop in interim profit. Analysts said that some of the reports out yesterday were slightly negative, despite some coming out with higher profit the forward earnings would be under pressure.

Caltex Australia Limited (ASX: CTX) - A Demand for Oil - Mr Richard Beattie, Group Manager Corp. Affairs; Caltex Australia Limited (ASX: CTX) present the following audio webcast regarding "CTX - A Demand for Oil - Mr Richard Beattie, Group Manager Corp. Affairs". You may also download this audio webcast to your computer or portable audio player.

The Directors of Novacoat Holdings Ltd (ASX: NVC) announced today that its subsidiary, McFee Pty Ltd (McFee), has received a Notice of Award and Authority to Proceed, for the structural and mechanical installation works for Bendigo Mining Company Limited's glod processing plant in Bendigo, Victoria. The value of the works is approximately AUD$6 million.