The ASX 200 closed Friday’s trading lower by 0.38%, but was still up 1.6% for the week.

The local market was relatively quiet today as nervous investors awaited the key US CPI data to be released tonight (US time).

Investors could be bracing themselves for the highest US CPI reading in 40 years, with headline inflation tipped to reach 6.7% Y-o-Y, and core inflation to 4.9%.

October’s reading saw headline CPI at 6.2% and core inflation at 4.6%.

On the ASX, Healthcare, Energy and Tech sectors were the biggest movers, all down by more than 1%.

In corporate news, Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) announced the resignation of CEO Elizabeth Gaines. Gaines is reportedly stepping aside to make way for an executive with renewables energy experience, as Fortescue is positioning itself to become a major green play.

Meanwhile, Oil Search (ASX:OSH) and Santos (ASX:STO) have today completed their $23 billion merger where Santos will acquire all the shares of Oil Search. The new Santos shares will begin trading on December 20th.

Elsewhere in Asia, credit rating agency Fitch has declared Evegrande to be in default as the Chinese company failed to make two coupon payments.

BIG CAP WINNERS

Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.

Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap
EBO Ebos Group Ltd 36.31 4.6 57872 $ 5,697,273,979.00
ILU Iluka Resources 9.42 7 2680520 $ 3,715,716,562.76
LTR Liontown Resources 1.64 7 11829344 $ 3,353,062,680.43
NHF NIB Holdings Limited 7.1 4.8 804959 $ 3,103,761,980.15
TLX Telix Pharmaceutical 7.97 6 902694 $ 2,138,046,810.00
WAF West African Res Ltd 1.39 6 8630316 $ 1,337,213,736.95
INR Ioneer Ltd 0.675 8 7043849 $ 1,281,592,749.38
AX1 Accent Group Ltd 2.48 6 2379625 $ 1,267,968,113.10
TPW Temple & Webster Ltd 10.77 7 1237468 $ 1,212,960,984.96
JIN Jumbo Interactive 19.19 6 332345 $ 1,129,245,810.88
CMM Capricorn Metals 3.1 7 2313099 $ 1,077,588,810.03
Wordpress Table Plugin

EBOS Group (ASX:EBO) announced the successful completion of its placement of approximately NZ$674 million / A$642 million to partly fund the acquisition of LifeHealthcare.

EBOS is acquiring LifeHealthcare, one of the largest independent distributors of third party medical devices and manufactured allograft material in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, for approximately $1.167 billion.

Telix Pharma (ASX:TLX) announced that its regulatory submission in Europe for Illuccix (TLX591-CDx) has successfully progressed to the final stage of assessment.

An approval decision is expected to be provided no later than 23 March, 2022.

Retail ecommerce platform Redbubble (ASX:RBL) is up 7% on no news.

BIG CAP LOSERS

Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.

Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap
APT Afterpay Limited 95.89 -4 740372 $ 29,105,187,701.31
RMD ResMed Inc. 36.63 -3 691368 $ 15,549,898,788.00
OSH Oil Search Ltd 4.04 -2 36719961 $ 8,602,301,748.96
MEZ Meridian Energy 4.42 -3 71772 $ 5,748,669,199.20
Z1P Zip Co Ltd. 4.95 -2 5797243 $ 2,985,392,861.88
WHC Whitehaven Coal 2.4 -4 9027994 $ 2,581,610,580.00
ZIM Zimplats Holding Ltd 22.5 -3 1715 $ 2,486,429,691.90
JDO Judo Cap Holdings 2.15 -2 577435 $ 2,432,114,020.60
CIA Champion Iron Ltd 4.62 -3 1366963 $ 2,400,771,492.24
AVZ AVZ Minerals Ltd 0.59 -9 58623179 $ 2,123,096,886.60
OCL Objective Corp 19.46 -2 28834 $ 1,885,127,788.95
29M 29Metalslimited 2.65 -3 1388267 $ 1,311,642,150.00
UMG United Malt Group 4.16 -4 648754 $ 1,292,453,863.20
ERA Energy Resources 0.33 -3 161453 $ 1,255,070,287.32
IAP Irongate Group 1.585 -4 2139931 $ 1,067,990,845.30
CXL Calix Limited 6.24 -4 348753 $ 1,048,554,825.50
Wordpress Table Plugin

BNPL stocks Afterpay (ASX:APT) and Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) fell 3-4% on the back of falling sentiment on Tech stocks, with Nasdaq also tumbling by 1.7% overnight.