At lunch on Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end its winning streak. The benchmark index is currently down 0.2% to 5,562.7 points.
Here's what is happening on the ASX 200 today:
Afterpay hits 5 million U.S. active customers.
The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price hit a record high today after the release of a U.S. update. That update reveals that after launching in the U.S. two years ago, there are now 5 million active customers on its buy now pay later platform in the country. Impressively, the company has experienced a surge in customer additions during the pandemic. Management revealed that 1 million of these active customers have joined during the last 10 weeks.
Aristocrat Leisure half year update.
The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price is tumbling lower on Thursday after its half year update fell short of expectations. For the six months ended March 31, Aristocrat recorded a 7% increase in operating revenue to $2,251.8 million and a 12.8% decline in normalised NPATA to $368.1 million. Although its top line growth was stronger than expected (due to its Digital business), its NPATA fell well short of Goldman Sachs' estimate for a 2% decline to $416 million.
Big four banks drop lower.
The big four banks are all trading lower at lunch and acting as a major drag on the ASX 200. The worst performer in the group has been the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price. The shares of Australia's oldest bank are down 1% at lunch.
Best and worst ASX 200 performers.
The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) share price with a massive 23% gain. Investors have been buying the infrastructure contractor's shares after it revealed unaudited revenue of $1.6 billion for the 10 months to April 30. This is greater than any revenue it has achieved during a full 12 months. The worst performer has been the Aristocrat Leisure share price with a 5% decline after its half year update disappointed.
