Australian shares track Wall Street higher as US data eases recession fears
Aug 9 (Reuters) -Australian shares opened higher on Friday, in tandem with Wall Street's overnight strength, as U.S. jobs data calmed investor fears over a possible recession, while local gold and energy stocks tracked a surge in commodity prices.
The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was up 0.6% at 7,727.8 points, as of 0034 GMT. The benchmark closed 0.2% lower on Thursday.
Data showed the number of new applications last week for unemployment benefits fell more than expected in the United States, easing worries of an imminent slowdown in the world's largest economy.
Back in Sydney, energy stocks .AXEJ added 1.1% as oil prices settled higher after U.S. jobs data assuaged demand concerns while the Middle East war helped prices recover from multi-month lows.
However, Brent crude LCOc1 futures dipped 0.1% to $79.09 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 also lost 0.1% to $76.11 per barrel.
Shares of Woodside WDS.AX and Santos STO.AX gained 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively.
Australian gold stocks .AXGD climbed 2.6% as prices of safe-haven bullion jumped more than 1% overnight.
Northern Star Resources NST.AX and Evolution Mining EVN.AX rose 2.3% and 2%, respectively.
Mining companies, which were up 1% .AXMM, joined the rally with sector giants BHP Group BHP.AX and Rio Tinto RIO.AX rising 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively.
Investors found comfort in a local report that global miner BHP was set to reopen its Cerro Colorado copper mine in Chile towards the end of the decade.
The U.S. S&P 500 index .SPX climbed 2.3% on Thursday, while Nasdaq .IXIC gained 2.8%. S&P 500 E-minis futures EScv1 were down 0.07% while the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RR rose to 3.98% compared with its U.S. close of 3.997%.
The Aussie dollar was 0.1% stronger against the greenback to A$0.66 on Friday.
Financials .AXFJ added 0.5%. Among individual stocks, Australian insurer QBE Insurance QBE.AX dropped 2.7% after missing estimates for its interim results.
Shares of REA Group REA.AX rose as much as 4.7% after the News Corp-owned real estate firm posted higher annual profit and raised its dividend.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 was up 0.6% at 12,326.1 points.
Reporting by Sneha Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips
For more information on DIARIES & DATA: U.S. earnings diary RESF/US Wall Street Week Ahead .N/O Global Economy Week Ahead DATA/ ................................................................ For latest top breaking news across all markets NEWS1
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
