The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Monday finished up 6.8 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 7,665.1, while the broader All Ordinaries rose 7.7 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 7,913.3.
Six of the ASX's sectors were higher at midday and five closed lower. Property was the biggest mover, dropping 2.3 per cent on a plunge by Lendlease.
The developer fell 14.0 per cent to a three-month low of $6.46 after reporting a statutory first-half loss of $136 million and a core operating profit of just $61 million, down 42 per cent from a year ago.
The group "continues to face difficult real estate capital market conditions with lower first half activity and lower property valuations," Lendlease said.
In the financial sector, Westpac rose 2.7 per cent to $25.24 after Australia's oldest corporation reported it made an unaudited net profit of $1.5 billion for the three months to December 31, in line with the previous six months when excluding hedge accounting impacts.
"This has been a solid quarter in which we've grown the franchise and maintained a strong financial position," chief executive Peter King said.
CBA climbed 0.7 per cent to $117.13 while ANZ and NAB both added 0.3 per cent, to $28.50 and $33.17, respectively.
The mining sector finished up 0.5 cent, with Rio Tinto advancing 1.6 per cent to $130.96, Fortescue flat at $28.40 and BHP adding 0.9 per cent to $46.04 ahead of the Big Australian's first-half earnings report on Tuesday.
BlueScope Steel fell 2.3 per cent to $22.33 after Australia's largest steel manufacturer reported its net profit fell the first half and warned of unprecedented softness in Asian pricing.
Boral climbed 4.6 per cent to $6.12 after Kerry Stokes' Seven Group offered around $1.9 billion in cash and scrip to acquire the remaining 28.4 per cent stake in the concrete and asphalt company that it doesn't already own.
"Today's announcement represents an exciting opportunity to integrate Boral into SGH's leading industrial services portfolio," Seven managing director and chief executive Ryan Stokes said.
In industrials, APM Human Services soared 47.6 per cent to a one-month high of $1.225 after the struggling employment group confirmed it had rejected a $1.60-per-share offer from buyout firm CVC Capital Partners.
The Perth-based company, which provides social services under contract for government agencies in 11 countries, said it was a challenging time with unemployment at historic lows but it remained confident in its ability to deliver value for shareholders.
A2Milk rose 12.5 per cent to a 10-month high of $5.68 after the Kiwi milk company reported its first-half net profit was up 15.6 per cent to $85.3 million.
"We continued to execute against our growth strategy, primarily focused on the China market, which now represents approximately 80 per cent of our total branded sales," said managing director and chief executive David Bortolussi.
In health care, Cochlear fell 2.0 per cent to $327.82 as the hearing company posted a $191 million half-year profit, up 35 per cent from a year ago.
In energy, Ampol rose 0.8 per cent to $37.88 after the fuel refiner and petrol station owner delivered $549.1 million in first-half earnings, down 25 per cent from a year ago.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.41 US cents, from 65.19 US cents at Friday's ASX close.
ON THE ASX:
* The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Monday up 6.8 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 7,665.1
* The broader All Ordinaries rose 7.7 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 7,913.3
CURRENCY SNAPSHOT:
One Australian dollar buys:
* 65.41 US cents, from 65.19 US cents at Friday's ASX close
* 98.12 Japanese yen, from 97.92 yen
* 60.67 Euro cents, from 60.58 Euro cents
* 51.85 British pence, from 51.81 pence
* 106.55 NZ cents, from 106.95 NZ cents.
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