The local share market has ended a dismal year with a bit of a whimper.
After being up as many as 53 points in early trading and again close to that by late afternoon, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index fell steadily in the final 30 minutes of trading to close Friday up just 18.6 points, or 0.27 percent, at 7038.7.
The broader All Ordinaries gained 24.4 points, or 0.34 percent, to 7221.7.
For the year, the ASX200 finished down 5.45 percent, its worst performance since 2018. While the index gained 8.7 percent over the fourth quarter, it ended December down 3.4 percent for the month.
It finished the holidays-shortened week down one percent, its fourth straight week in the red.
On the “glass half full” side, its annual performance was far better than a number of international markets.
Across the Ditch, the NZ50 finished the year down 12 percent. With a day of trading left in the US, the S&P500 was down 19.2 percent for the year, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average had lost 8.6 per cent. The global MSCI World index was down 20.3 percent.
Three of the ASX’s 11 sectors were lower, with property down the most at 0.7 percent.
Consumer staples were basically flat, and the other seven sectors were higher, with tech the biggest gainer, up 1.5 per cent, as Xero rose 2.2 percent.
The heavyweight mining sector had edged 0.1 per cent lower, with BHP down 0.4 percent to $45.63, Northern Star down 1.5 percent to $10.91 and Fortescue Metals down 0.7 percent to $20.51.
Lithium miners were having another good day, with Pilbara up 1.9 percent, Liontown adding 4.4 percent and Core Lithium climbing 5.1 per cent to a week-high of $1.025 as its first-ever lithium shipment was loaded from the company’s new Finnis mine near Darwin.
Chief Northern Territory Minister Natasha Fyles and Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison were on hand to witness the lithium being loaded on a bulk carrier at Darwin Port for delivery to Fangcheng, China.
Elsewhere in the sector, gold miners were drooping, with Northern Star down 1.5 percent and Evolution falling 1.3 percent.
But coal miners were recovering after a gloomy few sessions, with New Hope adding 2.3 percent and Whitehaven up 1.5 percent.
All the big banks were up, with CBA and NAB the biggest gainers, both climbing 0.5 percent, to $102.60 and $30.06, respectively. Westpac and ANZ both added 0.3 percent, to $23.35 and $23.66, respectively.
QBE Insurance Group rose 0.5 percent to $13.43, its highest level since the start of the pandemic.
In currency, the Australian dollar was buying 67.76 US cents, up from 67.43 US cents at Thursday’s ASX close.
For the year, the Aussie is down 6.7 percent compared to the greenback, having bought 72.65 US cents this time in 2021.
ON THE ASX:
* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed Friday up 18.6 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 7038.7.
* The broader All Ordinaries gained 24.4 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 7221.7.
CURRENCY SNAPSHOT:
One Australian dollar buys:
* 67.76 US cents, from 67.43 US cents at Thursday’s ASX close
* 89.83 Japanese yen, from 90.10 Japanese yen
* 63.64 Euro cents, from 63.47 Euro cents
* 56.24 British pence, from 56.01 British pence
* 107.12 NZ cents, from 106.32 NZ cents.
