ASX to open flat as Morrison Govt goes gung-ho for gas

Good morning.

Here’s Yahoo Finance’s Tuesday morning wrap.

The ASX is expected to open flat, with the SPI200 futures contract unchanged, indicating a flat start for the local bourse.

In the US, Wall Street closed higher on signs of progress in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, with all of the S&P 500 sectors ending in positive territory.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.18 per cent to 27,993.33, the S&P 500 gained 1.27 per cent to 3,383.54 and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.87 per cent to 11,056.65.

Affordable energy: The Morrison Government has invested $53 million in new projects in the gas supply chain, and will today unveil a plan to negotiate a new deal with three east coast LNH exporters.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison expects to deliver three domestic basin plans in the NT and Queensland, boost research and consult on a possible gas reservation scheme.

"To help fire our economic recovery, the next plank in our JobMaker plan is to deliver more Australian gas where it is needed at an internationally competitive price," Morrison said.

Borders to drop: South Australia could open its borders to Canberra and NSW “very soon”, with a decision expected this week.

The SA Premier Steven Marshall said borders would likely drop with the ACT first, and when there are no community transmissions of the virus in NSW for 14 days, the borders will open to Sydney-siders.

Trump v Biden: While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has led President Trump in the polls for months, Trump could still win, experts say.

“It really seems like he's got just a slight, slight edge over Biden. The states where he seems safer are more solid and they have more electoral college votes,” Stefanie Miller, managing director of FiscalNote Markets, said in the Yahoo Finance Electionomics podcast.

Here’s how Trump could still beat Biden.

Dear Aussie Advisor: Ever wondered what to expect from financial planning? Or do you have money or investment questions you’d love some guidance on from a financial advisor?

55-year-old Corey earns $155,000 and has $95,000 in savings. Him and his wife are also about to mortgage-free, but he isn’t sure what he should be considering when it comes to investing and planning for retirement.

Here’s what financial adviser Brendan Gow thinks Corey should do.

Nintendo, Zoom: Investing in stocks will always be a gamble and you need to weigh the risks carefully, but there are some stocks that you should be keeping an eye on during this crisis, according to Finder.com.au founder and CEO Fred Schebesta.

Here are 8 Covid-proof stocks to watch right now.

Say goodbye: Between late 2016 to March 2020, the number of ATMs in Australia fell by 15 per cent to 28,000 machines, and that trend is set to continue, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Here’s why this very convenient shopping centre staple could be set to disappear.

Have a great day.

With AAP.

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