AU Morning Wrap | ASX 200 inches higher; PDN rises on TSX debut

Thursday's post-holiday trading saw minimal stock movement amid low volumes. The $Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US)$ rose 0.07% to close at 43,325.80 while the $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$slipped 0.04% to 6,037.59 and the $Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US)$ dipped 0.05% to 20,020.36. This quiet session followed the Christmas break and Tuesday's shortened trading day.

The $S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ opened 0.49% higher at 8,261.40, continuing its upward momentum and extending the positive trend seen in the two trading sessions before the holiday break.

As of latest data, $比特币(BTC.CC)$ is priced at $95,678.61, down 3.59% in the past 24 hours, while $以太坊(ETH.CC)$ is priced at $3,327.17, down 4.69% in the past 24 hours.

$Paladin Energy Ltd (PDN.AU)$ shares rose 4.5% to A$7.89. The uranium producer made its debut on the Toronto Stock Exchange on December 27, trading under the ticker "PDN". This listing followed the company's recent acquisition of Fission Uranium, expanding its presence in the North American market.

$Macmahon Holdings Ltd (MAH.AU)$ dropped 1.41% to A$0.35. Its subsidiary, Decmil, secured a A$47 million contract for a wind farm project in Western Australia.

Iron ore giants saw mixed results. $Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AU)$ edged up 0.72% to A$117.00, while $BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AU)$ dipped 0.58% to A$39.96, and $Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$ climbed 0.95% to A$18.575. A recent report from Research and Markets projected a 2.9% increase in global iron ore output for 2024, potentially benefiting these major producers.