Ruralco Holdings Limited

Brickworks Limited (ASX:BKW) (PINK:BRKWF) posted a Normal Net Profit After Tax ('NPAT') for the year ended 31 July 2010 of A$110.2 million, down 3.1% from A$113.7 million for the year ended 31 July 2009. After non-regular items, Brickworks' Headline NPAT was A$138.8 million, down 54.5% from A$305.2 million in the previous year.

US stocks posted a strong gain overnight boosted by better-than-expected home sales. Existing-home sales increased by 10.1 per cent to a 6.1 million annual rate, from 5.54 million in September, the National Association of Realtors said. The US dollar was weaker on Monday on expectations that the interest rate would remain at near zero.

Yesterday Australian shares closed slightly higher after staging a late-afternoon rally as Washington promised to shore up Citigroup. Miners surged while banks pared their losses. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 0.25%, or 8.6 points, to close at 3425.1, while the All Ordinaries index was up 0.1%, or 1.9 points, at 3388.8. Analysts anticipate the markets a stronger performance with the good news.
The December Share Price Index futures contract on the Sydney Futures Exchange was up 144 points, or more than 4%, at 3600 in recent trading.