
Australian shares rise, edge toward new record high
At noon on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 14.2 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8,610.0 - less than 30 points from its all-time intraday high set three weeks ago, and on track to finish the week 1.1 per cent higher than where it began.
The broader All Ordinaries was up 13.7 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,847.3.
The gains follow another record-setting day on Wall Street, where the S&P500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit new records after the June non-farm payrolls report showed US employment rising more than expected.
Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said that while the readout had all but extinguished the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in July, stocks had still reacted positively on relief that the US economy was holding up strongly despite risks from US trade policy and tariffs.
Nine of the ASX's 11 sectors were in the green at midday, with energy and materials lower.
Tech was the biggest gainer, rising 1.3 per cent. Xero had climbed 1.9 per cent, Life360 had advanced 2.5 per cent and Wisetech Global was up 1.2 per cent.
In the financial sector, CBA was down 0.8 per cent to $178.27, on track for its sixth day of declines out of the past seven sessions since Australia's most valuable company hit an all time-high of $192 on June 25.
The other big four were all in the green, with ANZ up 0.6 per cent, Westpac adding 0.5 per cent and NAB gaining 0.4 per cent.
In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP had declined 1.6 per cent, Rio Tinto had subtracted 1.7 per cent and South32 had dropped 2.3 per cent.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.68 US cents, from 65.69 US cents at midday on Thursday.
The local share market has been edging higher after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report reaffirmed the strength of the world's largest economy.
At noon on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 14.2 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8,610.0 - less than 30 points from its all-time intraday high set three weeks ago, and on track to finish the week 1.1 per cent higher than where it began.
The broader All Ordinaries was up 13.7 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,847.3.
The gains follow another record-setting day on Wall Street, where the S&P500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit new records after the June non-farm payrolls report showed US employment rising more than expected.
Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said that while the readout had all but extinguished the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in July, stocks had still reacted positively on relief that the US economy was holding up strongly despite risks from US trade policy and tariffs.
Nine of the ASX's 11 sectors were in the green at midday, with energy and materials lower.
Tech was the biggest gainer, rising 1.3 per cent. Xero had climbed 1.9 per cent, Life360 had advanced 2.5 per cent and Wisetech Global was up 1.2 per cent.
In the financial sector, CBA was down 0.8 per cent to $178.27, on track for its sixth day of declines out of the past seven sessions since Australia's most valuable company hit an all time-high of $192 on June 25.
The other big four were all in the green, with ANZ up 0.6 per cent, Westpac adding 0.5 per cent and NAB gaining 0.4 per cent.
In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP had declined 1.6 per cent, Rio Tinto had subtracted 1.7 per cent and South32 had dropped 2.3 per cent.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.68 US cents, from 65.69 US cents at midday on Thursday.
The local share market has been edging higher after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report reaffirmed the strength of the world's largest economy.
At noon on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 14.2 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8,610.0 - less than 30 points from its all-time intraday high set three weeks ago, and on track to finish the week 1.1 per cent higher than where it began.
The broader All Ordinaries was up 13.7 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,847.3.
The gains follow another record-setting day on Wall Street, where the S&P500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit new records after the June non-farm payrolls report showed US employment rising more than expected.
Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said that while the readout had all but extinguished the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in July, stocks had still reacted positively on relief that the US economy was holding up strongly despite risks from US trade policy and tariffs.
Nine of the ASX's 11 sectors were in the green at midday, with energy and materials lower.
Tech was the biggest gainer, rising 1.3 per cent. Xero had climbed 1.9 per cent, Life360 had advanced 2.5 per cent and Wisetech Global was up 1.2 per cent.
In the financial sector, CBA was down 0.8 per cent to $178.27, on track for its sixth day of declines out of the past seven sessions since Australia's most valuable company hit an all time-high of $192 on June 25.
The other big four were all in the green, with ANZ up 0.6 per cent, Westpac adding 0.5 per cent and NAB gaining 0.4 per cent.
In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP had declined 1.6 per cent, Rio Tinto had subtracted 1.7 per cent and South32 had dropped 2.3 per cent.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.68 US cents, from 65.69 US cents at midday on Thursday.
The local share market has been edging higher after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report reaffirmed the strength of the world's largest economy.
At noon on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 14.2 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8,610.0 - less than 30 points from its all-time intraday high set three weeks ago, and on track to finish the week 1.1 per cent higher than where it began.
The broader All Ordinaries was up 13.7 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,847.3.
The gains follow another record-setting day on Wall Street, where the S&P500 and the Nasdaq Composite hit new records after the June non-farm payrolls report showed US employment rising more than expected.
Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said that while the readout had all but extinguished the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in July, stocks had still reacted positively on relief that the US economy was holding up strongly despite risks from US trade policy and tariffs.
Nine of the ASX's 11 sectors were in the green at midday, with energy and materials lower.
Tech was the biggest gainer, rising 1.3 per cent. Xero had climbed 1.9 per cent, Life360 had advanced 2.5 per cent and Wisetech Global was up 1.2 per cent.
In the financial sector, CBA was down 0.8 per cent to $178.27, on track for its sixth day of declines out of the past seven sessions since Australia's most valuable company hit an all time-high of $192 on June 25.
The other big four were all in the green, with ANZ up 0.6 per cent, Westpac adding 0.5 per cent and NAB gaining 0.4 per cent.
In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP had declined 1.6 per cent, Rio Tinto had subtracted 1.7 per cent and South32 had dropped 2.3 per cent.
The Australian dollar was buying 65.68 US cents, from 65.69 US cents at midday on Thursday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Wall St gains as interim Fed choice stokes dovish bets
Wall Street has risen, setting up a strong finish to the week, after US President Donald Trump's interim pick for a Fed governor post fuelled expectations of a more dovish policy ahead. In early trading on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 134.42 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 44,103.06, the S&P 500 gained 17.22 points, or 0.27 per cent, to 6,357.22 and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 44.83 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 21,287.53. Trump moved to reshape the Fed on Thursday, nominating Council of Economic Advisers' chair Stephen Miran for a short-term board seat after Adriana Kugler's abrupt exit—and narrowing his shortlist to replace Jerome Powell, whose term ends May 15. On the same day, Bloomberg News reported that Fed Governor Christopher Waller was emerging as a leading contender for the chair. Investors were being whipsawed by mixed signals over the Fed's future, as Trump's pressure stirs worries about the central bank's independence and a potential leadership reshuffle that could skew policy looser. "The reality is the president can't force a chair to step down or put any additional pressure to make the governors to force rates lower. This is about him putting in folks who are going to be more dovish and ultimately (lead) to deeper rate cuts, whether they're justified or not," said Phil Blancato, CEO, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management. In earnings-related moves, Expedia leapt 9.7 per cent after raising its annual forecast for gross bookings and revenue growth. Monster Beverage gained 9.0 per cent as the companybeatestimates for its second-quarter results. Gilead Sciences jumped 8.9 per cent following its raising of the full-year financial outlook. Trade Desk sank 38 per cent in after the ad-tech firm reported a sharp slowdown in second-quarter revenue growth. Pinterest tumbled 11.5 per cent as the social media platform missed analysts' estimates for second-quarter profit. Sector-wise, consumer discretionary could top the leaderboard this week, while healthcare lags, weighed down mainly by Eli Lilly. The drugmaker fell 14.1 per cent in the previous session after results from a late-stage study on its experimental GLP-1 pill fell behind that of Novo Nordisk's . On the day, all sectors were trading in the green. Meanwhile, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were on track for their best week in over a month, while the Dow was on track to log modest gains. Equities have ridden a dramatic reset in rate expectations and a flurry of upbeat earnings. Traders now peg a 90 per cent chance of the first rate cut hitting next month, according CME's Fedwatch tool, with futures pointing to at least two cuts by year-end. US tariffs on a bunch of trading partners took effect at midnight on Thursday. Tokyo's trade negotiator said Washington will amend a presidential executive order to remove overlapping tariffs on Japanese goods, terming it as oversight. In a rebuke to Washington, New Delhi shelved fresh US arms and aircraft purchases, according to three Indian officials, after Trump-era tariffs pushed relations to their lowest point in years. St Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem is scheduled to speak later in the morning local time. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.33-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.63-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 38 new highs and 32 new lows.

The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Verdict on hotel at the centre of Queensland's most contentious site
Two storms were brewing when my plane landed in Brisbane in early March: a cyclone called Alfred, and one swirling over the future of the new Star Grand Brisbane hotel. The day I checked in, the ASX had automatically suspended trading on The Star Entertainment Group Ltd, after the company failed to lodge financial results. It seemed like the climax of an epic multi-year saga for the besieged company, which has been floundering in controversy, construction woes, and allegations of corruption for the past few years. So it was terrible timing for The Star to have a travel journalist arrive to review the hotel. But beyond the headlines and billion-dollar budget blowouts, it was worth asking the question: what is it really like to stay in the centrepiece hotel of one of the most contentious developments in Queensland's history, as it teeters on the edge of closure?

The Australian
6 hours ago
- The Australian
ASX200: Key sectors split on down day for market
A mixed bag has capped the share market's first weekly gain in three weeks, in the midst of reporting season with an expected interest rate cut just days away. The S&P/ASX200 closed Friday with a loss of 24.3 points or 0.28 per cent at 8807.1. Sell offs in financials and healthcare outweighed gains in mining stocks, with six of 11 sectors in negative territory. The All Ordinaries also slipped 0.28 per cent, down 25 points to 9,076.6 while the Small Ords was flat. Daily returns were dominated by earnings results. QBE shares tanked 8.8 per cent (to $21.39) despite the company reporting a 20 per cent jump in half-year profit. Afterpay owner Block rose 9.1 per cent (at $127.09) as second quarter results showed consumers were blowing cobwebs off their wallets. Gains in mining did not offset losses in financials. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NewsWire Furniture retailer Nick Scali lifted 6.9 per cent (to $20.49) as its Australian and New Zealand orders over the second-half rose 7 per cent. Investors made themselves comfy despite a near 30 per cent slide in profits. 'We're getting better deals … and we are passing that through to the consumer for better prices and that is probably helping us,' chief executive Anthony Scali told investors. 'I think the consumer is a bit more confident.' Other big gainers include finance tech company Iress (up 12.2 per cent at $9.40), Pilbara Minerals (up 9 per cent at $1.93) and AMP (up 7.1 per cent at $1.87). At the other end, GQG Partners was deep in red territory. GQG's share price fell 14.6 per cent (to $1.72), as a funds under management update revealed an exodus. RBA Governor Michele Bullock is expected to announce a rate cut on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Investors ditched game company Light and Wonder, as the Las Vegas-headquartered firm announced plans to delist from the Nasdaq later this year. Aussie-listed stocks fell 11.2 per cent to $118.75. The RBA is expected to cut the cash rate on Tuesday, and will take heed from London in doing so. The Bank of England cut its main interest rate Thursday by a quarter point to 4 per cent, to spite a lagging economy. In international news, the UK, Switzerland and the US have found themselves in a tussle after a report Donald Trump had imposed tariffs on imports of 1kg gold bars. Independent market analyst Stephen Innes said the US administration was taking a three-pronged approach. 'Weaken Switzerland's refining monopoly. Force London's bullion banks into a defensive posture. Supercharge the fiscal optics by goosing gold's domestic valuation,' he said. 'The optics are unmistakeable. At a time when central banks are hoarding gold to diversify away from dollar risk, Washington is slapping toll booths on the global metal highway. 'Switzerland, the middleman in this high-value supply chain, just became collateral damage.' The news sent gold futures climbing to a record high on Friday, even after a stellar week for the precious metal. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold benchmark is up 11.5 per cent for the week, including a 2 per cent sweetener on Friday. Read related topics: ASX Blair Jackson Reporter Blair's journalism career has taken him from Perth, to New Zealand, Queensland and now Melbourne. Blair Jackson