Aust stocks open flat

The Australian stock market opened little changed, after the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 closed at all-time highs on Wall Street as Chinese economic growth data offset disappointing US retail sales figures.

At the 1015 AEST official market open, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index edged up 0.17%, at 4,989.8 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index rose 0.19%, to 4,975.2 points.

Materials posted mixed results.

Rio Tinto fell 0.16% to $54.68, while BHP Billiton gained 0.15% to $33.30.

Fortescue Metals rose 0.57% to $3.52.

Whitehaven Coal added 0.92% to $2.20, while Newcrest slumped 1.2% to $11.49.

In energy, Santos shed 0.07% to $13.93, Oil Search lost 0.12% to $8.21 and Woodside lost 0.37% to $37.41.

Financials edged higher.

Commonwealth Bank rose 0.21% to $71.40, while ANZ Banking Group added 0.24% to $29.02.

National Australia Bank gained 0.1% to $30.06, while Westpac Banking Corporation grew 0.68% to $29.56.

Investment bank Macquarie Group lost 0.86% to $44.77.

In the insurance sector, QBE put on 0.71% to $16.96, Insurance Australia Group lost 0.51% to $5.86 and Suncorp shed 0.52% to $12.415.

In economic news on Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia releases the minutes of its July board meeting.

"This will be an interesting statement considering the 'very long time to deliberate' off-the-cuff statement from Glenn Stevens following the cash rate decision," IG analyst Evan Lucas said.

The market could post its "sixth straight north print" today, Mr Lucas said.

In equities news, Rio Tinto is scheduled to release its second quarter operations review.

In Australia, the market on Monday closed higher for a fifth straight day, helped by encouraging signs for the housing sector which drove a rise in banking shares.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 7.2 points, or 0.14%, at 4,981.1 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 8.1 points, or 0.16%, to 4,965.6 points.