IG Markets: Midday market update, 22 April

The industrial and financial indices are both trading 0.3% lower while the resource index is a releative outperformer having added 0.9% on the day.

In company news BHP Billiton released an operational review for the 9 months ending March 2015. The report showed group production to have increased by 9% over the period.

Petroleum production increased by 6%, copper production by 2%, iron ore (Western Australia) production by 16% and metalurgical coal production by 14%.

Richemont released a company announcement indicating that compared to  the previous financial year, Richemont's net profit for the year ended 31 March 2015 is expected to show a decrease of some 36%. This significant decrease reflects non-cash, mark-to-market losses on financial instruments, which include monetary items and derivatives.

In Currencies the Rand is trading at R12.08 to the dollar, R18.15 to the British pound and R13.01 to the Euro. In Commodities Gold is trading at $1202/oz, Platinum at $1144/oz and $61.85/barrel.

On the economic front the local headline CPI annual inflation rate in March 2015 was reported at 4,0%. This rate was 0,1 of a percentage point higher than the corresponding annual rate of 3,9% in February 2015. On average, prices increased by 1,4% between February 2015 and March 2015.

In the U.S. we await Existing home sales data at 4pm and Crude Oil Inventory data at 4:30pm.