Sydney, Aug 2, 2007 (ABN Newswire) - The share market rallied today gaining back some of yesterday's losses. Investors returned to index heavyweights like BHP and Macquarie most of the major banks managed to inspire some investor confidence as well.

The ASX 200 Index closed up 71 points at 6012, and on the futures market the SPI 200 gained 45 points.

Turning to company news now, Austar has set a goal of making sure one in every two home in regional Australia is set up with a set-top box. The comments from chief executive John Porter came as the company announced first half earnings of $24.68 million. That's down just under 7 per cent on the previous first half. Speaking with AAP after the results announcement Mr Porter predicted penetration growth of two to three basis points a year for the next three to four years. The regional pay TV provider's current subscriber base makes up about 26 per cent of regional Australia. Shares in Austar closed 1.86% higher at $1.64

The full report is available at the following video and audio links.

Video Link

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/145LY2H8


Audio Link

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/Z70TQ7RX

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