Australian share market down, up, all around

On the day the ASX200 index was up 68 points, or 1.8% on the day at 3954.9 points, while the All Ordinaries index rose 65.1 points, or 1.7% to 3947.8 points.

The meant the ASX200 has now posted four consecutive months of gains and is up 6.3% since the start of 2009.

For the June quarter, the ASX200 rose 10.4%, its best return in four and a half, while the All Ordinaries added 11.7%, the best return since the end of 2001.

However, it is still down 24 per cent over the past 12 months, its biggest fiscal-year loss since 1982 and the recession before last.

Australia's share drop over the past year is in line with most of the main overseas markets. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost about 26% in local currency terms over the past year, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng is off about 16%.

With one more day's trading to come to cap the 12 months, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is 25% lower, while London's FTSE 100 index is about 24% down.

The Nikkei rose 174.97, or 1.8% yesterday, to close at 9,958.44 in Tokyo.

The Chinese market is up around 61% this year, thanks to the surge in bank lending and cash from the Government's huge stimulus program.

ON Wall Street the Dow is up 12.1% for the quarter rise but still down 2.8% for the year.

The S&P 500 Index rose Monday and is up 16.2% climb for the quarter, and 2.7% since the year began.

The Nasdaq is up nearly 17% for the quarter and more than 20% so far this year.

During the past three months, all but one of the S&P 500's 10 industry groups have pulled into positive territory -- with the biggest gains seen in the hardest hit financial sector, up 30% for the quarter and off 4.2% for the year-to-date.

The cyclically sensitive technology sector proved the second-biggest advancer, climbing 18% during the quarter and 25% year to date.

The S&P 500 .SPX hit a 12-year-plus low in early March, down more than 57% from the record high it set in October 2007.

The S&P 500 has risen up to 40% from those March lows.

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