Yahoo Finance ASX to open higher as doctors blast ‘unethical’ payment plan
Good morning.
ASX: The ASX is expected to lift on Thursday after Wall Street shook off a soft start.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed up 9.8 points on Wednesday, or 0.13 per cent, to 7,364.8 points.
The All Ordinaries closed higher by 15.9 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 7,682.6 points.
Wall Street: US markets opened listless on Wednesday local time, as Omicron concerns continued to weigh on the global economic recovery. However, they improved throughout the day and are now trading in the green.
At publication, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 204.71 points, or 0.58 per cent, at 35,697.41, the S&P 500 was up 37.12 points, or 0.80 per cent, at 4,686.55 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 135.28 points, or 0.88 per cent, at 15,474.79.
‘Unethical’ COVID plan: As COVID-19 cases in ICU tick up, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is reportedly considering imposing charges on unvaccinated people who need to use the hospital system for treatment. However, doctors have described the suggestion as “unethical”.
Insurance shock: Omicron may have thrown some Australians’ travel plans into disarray, but many still plan to jet out on an international jaunt.
If you’ve taken out travel insurance, it’s worth double checking what you’re covered for - 50 per cent of policy holders recently surveyed had a rude shock.
$10 boosts: GPs and pharmacists will receive an extra $10 for each booster jab they administer, in a national plan to raise vaccination and booster shot rates.
"This will enable GPs to reach out to patients, to run larger clinics and hold more vaccination sessions to meet demand," Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid said.
Fish-mas frenzy: The Sydney Fish Market has kicked off its annual 36-hour Seafood Marathon, with retailers selling fish until 5:00pm on Friday. Here’s what you need to know about the mega retail event.
Boxing Day: Speaking of huge retail events, online sales are expected to reach a new record this Boxing Day, with shoppers planning to trawl the sales online rather than in-store. According to CommBank data, we’re set to splash out $4 billion.
Have a great day.
With AAP.
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