The S&P/ASX 200 is trading 0.16 per cent higher at 7,067.40.
Futures
The SPI futures are down 1 point.
Best and worst performers
The best-performing sector is Energy, up 1.6 per cent. The worst-performing sector is Information Technology, down 1.18 per cent.
The best-performing large cap is Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST), trading 2.57 per cent higher at $11.57. It is followed by shares in Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) and QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE).
The worst-performing large cap is Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM), trading 6.32 per cent lower at $25.20. It is followed by shares in Mercury NZ (ASX:MCY) and Infratil (ASX:IFT).
Asian markets
China’s economic performance in September and Q3 disappointed, with GDP growth at 4.9 per cent, below expectations and the previous quarter’s 6.3 per cent. Despite some positive signs in industrial production and retail sales, weak domestic demand and deflationary pressures persist, as both exports and imports declined.
China’s Shanghai Composite is down 0.25 per cent.
Japan’s Nikkei is down 0.21 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is up 0.07 per cent.
Commodities and the dollar
Gold is trading at US$1,949.50 an ounce.
Light crude is trading $1.85 higher at US$88.51 a barrel.
One Australian dollar is buying 63.82 US cents.