FKP Property Group

US stocks closed nearly unchanged Wednesday despite a stronger than expected increase of new home sales and a jump in durable goods orders. The market responded to the positive data with a shrug, as investors remained cautious and took their profits after rallies.

Wall Street finished mixed overnight. Dow and S&P 500 indices ended their rising streak while Nasdaq posted its 11th straight rise led by Apple and Yahoo. Investors started to lock in their profits from a series of rallies driven by earnings reports.

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.

Overnight the Wall St took a dive on grim economic news pointing to weaker growth and profits in the year ahead, with Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 7.87% for its biggest percentage loss since October of 1987. The US Federal Reserve's snapshot of business conditions said economic activity was weaker across all 12 districts in September and consumer spending fell in most regions.