Australian shares have dipped, reflecting a downturn on Wall Street, as investors sought safe-haven assets amid worries about a wider conflict in the Middle East. However, energy stocks have helped cushion the blow, with oil prices rising due to supply concerns.
At 11:40am, the S&P/ASX 200 is 0.05 per cent lower at 8,204.60.
The SPI futures are pointing to a rise of 5 points.
Best and worst performers
The best-performing sector is Energy, up 2.07 per cent. The worst-performing sector is Information Technology, down 1.23 per cent.
The best-performing large cap is Woodside Energy Group (ASX:WDS), trading 2.87 per cent higher at $25.85. It is followed by shares in Santos (ASX:STO) and Newmont Corporation (ASX:NEM).
The worst-performing large cap is Xero (ASX:XRO), trading 2.12 per cent lower at $147.02. It is followed by shares in CAR Group (ASX:CAR) and Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN).
Commodities and the dollar
Gold is trading at US$2679.60 an ounce.
One Australian dollar is buying 68.98 US cents.