By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 lifted 68.3 points or 0.9% to 7,352.5 after the first 90 minutes of Thursday’s trade, extending gains for the 3rd consecutive session and notching fresh 7-month highs as investors cheered dovish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
ASX 200 Futures were pointing 0.1% higher.
Among stocks, Materials led the advance, up 2% as Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) lifted 2.5%, BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) gained 2.3%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) added 2.7% and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) rallied 4.5%.
The rate sensitive Information Technology and Real Estate sectors lifted 1.2 and 1.1% respectively, with Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) adding 2%, Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) up 1%, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) lifting 2.5% and Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX:SGP) adding 2.8%, while Block Inc (ASX:SQ2) popped 6.9%, Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) gained 9.2%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) lifted 6.4% and Novonix Ltd (ASX:NVX) gained 3.6%.
Coming up in the session, market participants will be monitoring quarterly private capital expenditure data.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 3.49% while United States 10-Year rates were at 3.622%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.7% to 11,627.