Fewer listings in Sydney and Melbourne have weighed on Domain's first-half result, but chief executive Jason Pellegrino says the company can weather the property downturn with a pick-up in premium products by real-estate agents.

On an underlying basis, Domain's first-half net profit fell 14.2 per cent to $21.1 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 7.1 per cent to $52.7 million, while revenue inched up 0.3 per cent to $183.9 million.

"In the context of current property-market cyclicality, Domain delivered a solid performance in the half, with growth in average revenue per listing. The result is in line with market expectations," chief executive Jason Pellegrino said.

Max Mason has the full story here.

Australian coal producer Whitehaven Coal has delivered a surging net profit, up 19 per cent to $305.8 million for the December half, as significantly higher coal prices boosted the company's earnings.

Whitehaven's revenue jumped 11 per cent to $1.27 billion, and the company declared an unfranked dividend of 20 cents a share. The coal miner announced a 15 cent interim dividend and a 5 cent special dividend.

The company said average realised prices for coal jumped to $155 per tonne in the December half, compared to $124 per tonne in the prior corresponding period. Whitehaven also received a boost from a weaker Australian dollar in the half.

Darren Gray

Australian shares are trading near flat at the open this morning with mostly muted movements either way.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index is down 2.2 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 6057.2.

Treasury Wine Estates is down 4.2 per cent, BHP Group has fallen 0.4 per cent and Westpac is down 0.4 per cent.

Automotive Holdings Group is down 10.4 per cent, Whitehaven Coal has slid 7.1 per cent and CYBG is down 3.4 per cent.

SPONSORED POST

It certainly wasn't the highest-impact day market participants have experienced so far this year, but there was a spoonful of everything, thematically speaking that is, driving the macro-economic outlook for markets in 2019. To keep it high level, there was a series of significant growth-related data released out of all three of the world's major economic geographies – China, Europe and China – plus a healthy smattering of geopolitics and corporate news to keep traders interested.

Only, if you look at the price action, one might say that it didn't amount to terribly much. Global equities are taking the middle road, posting a mixed day, as Wall Street creeps towards its close at time of writing; though some shifting in currency, rates, bonds and commodities markets has occurred.

Read the full 8@eight here.

Here are the overnight market highlights:

SPI futures down 11 points or 0.2% to 6002 at about 8.45am AEDT

AUD +0.2% to 71.01 US cents

On Wall St: Dow -0.4% S&P 500 -0.3%% Nasdaq +0.1%

Britain's parliament has dealt Prime Minister Theresa May another Brexit black eye, with a defeat early on Friday (AEDT) for a government motion on her 'Plan B' that will deepen uncertainty and potentially crimp her ability to extract a better deal from the European Union.

The defeat came as a key member of the Bank of England's interest-rate committee warned that the uncertainty around Brexit was costing the economy around £800 million ($1.45 billion) a week, as the slump in British business investment gathers pace.

Mrs May is in a race against time to secure changes from European leaders for her unloved Brexit deal, with the clock ticking down to March 29 – when the two-year 'Article 50' exit process lapses and Britain will leave the EU with or without a deal.

Hans van Leeuwen has the full story here.

Good morning and welcome to Markets Live for Friday.

Your editor today is William McInnes.

This blog is not intended as investment advice.