At lunch on Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end its winning streak. The benchmark index is currently down 0.2% to 5,562.7 points.
Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:
Afterpay hits 5 million U.S. active customers.
The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price hit a record high today after the release of a U.S. update. That update reveals that after launching in the U.S. two years ago, there are now 5 million active customers on its buy now pay later platform in the country. Impressively, the company has experienced a surge in customer additions during the pandemic. Management revealed that 1 million of these active customers have joined during the last 10 weeks.
Aristocrat Leisure half year update.
The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price is tumbling lower on Thursday after its half year update fell short of expectations. For the six months ended March 31, Aristocrat recorded a 7% increase in operating revenue to $2,251.8 million and a 12.8% decline in normalised NPATA to $368.1 million. Although its top line growth was stronger than expected (due to its Digital business), its NPATA fell well short of Goldman Sachs’ estimate for a 2% decline to $416 million.
Big four banks drop lower.
The big four banks are all trading lower at lunch and acting as a major drag on the ASX 200. The worst performer in the group has been the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price. The shares of Australia’s oldest bank are down 1% at lunch.
Best and worst ASX 200 performers.
The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) share price with a massive 23% gain. Investors have been buying the infrastructure contractor’s shares after it revealed unaudited revenue of $1.6 billion for the 10 months to April 30. This is greater than any revenue it has achieved during a full 12 months. The worst performer has been the Aristocrat Leisure share price with a 5% decline after its half year update disappointed.
5 cheap stocks that could be the biggest winners of the stock market crash
Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes are the 5 cheapest and best stocks to buy right now.
Courtesy of the crashing stock market, these 5 companies are suddenly trading at significant discounts to their recent highs… creating what could be incredible opportunities for bargain-hungry investors.
Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy and discover the names of all 5 cheap shares to buy now… before the next stock market rally.
More reading
- ASX 200 mining services share storms 27% higher on record revenue result
- Why Aristocrat Leisure, Bigtincan, Clover, & Megaport shares are dropping lower
- Why Afterpay, AMA, NRW, & Santos shares are racing higher
- The hidden threat to big banks that may be worse than a housing collapse
- Why ASX 200 iron ore miners are your best bet for dividends right now
Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
The post ASX 200 down 0.2%: Afterpay hits a record high, Aristocrat Leisure update disappoints appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.
from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/36hiAeN
Leave a Reply