Australian shares have opened slightly weaker after a quiet overnight session for international markets.
Austock Securities senior client adviser and strategist Michael Heffernan said there was no major local or international news driving the Australian market on Thursday.
"European markets have been soft, the US market hasn't been doing much and commodity prices are flat," he said.
At 1020 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 6.7 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 4,286.4 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had dropped 5.7 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 4,366.4 points.
The ASX 24 March share price index futures contract was five points lower at 4,268 points on a volume of 8,353 contracts.
David Jones said on Thursday its second quarter sales fell 3.1 per cent and reaffirmed its first half guidance.
Chief executive Paul Zahra said that while sales performance this quarter reflected the continuing challenging retail environment, there had been an improvement in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 versus the first quarter of the year.
Mr Heffernan said the result exceeded market expectations.
At 1039 AEDT, the company's shares were six cents higher, or 2.3 per cent, at $2.63.
In other news on Thursday, energy producer and retailer Origin Energy posted a first half net profit of $794 million compared to a $136 million loss for the previous corresponding period.
"Certainly Origin has stepped on the gas .... and it's one of the better performing stocks," Mr Heffernan said.
Origin Energy's shares were 31 cents firmer, or 2.25 per cent, at $14.10 by 1039 AEDT.
Meanwhile, Fairfax Media reported a first half profit fall of 44 per cent and said difficult trading conditions would likely continue.
Fairfax's shares fell 0.5 cents to 83 cents by 1040 AEDT.
At 1040 AEDT, the four major banks were mixed.
Commonwealth Bank Australia rose two cents to $49.66, the National Australia Bank was down 10 cents to $23.35, ANZ dipped eight cents to $22.06 and Westpac was down two cents to $20.75.
