By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 added just 8.2 points or 0.1% to 7,250.6 after the first 90 minutes of Friday’s trade, extending gains for the 4th consecutive session and trading at 5-month highs as market participants rotated back into risk sensitive assets amid growing speculation that U.S. Federal Reserve will ease the pace of their recent interest rate hikes.
ASX 200 Futures were flat at 7,262.5.
Among stocks, Staples added 0.7% collectively with Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) up 0.8%, Graincorp Ltd (ASX:GNC) adding 0.5%, Coles Group Ltd (ASX:COL) up 0.8% and Elders Ltd (ASX:ELD) adding 0.9%.
Information Technology lifted 0.9% overall with Block Inc (ASX:SQ2) up 0.3%, Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) gaining 2.6%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) up 2.4% and Altium Ltd (ASX:ALU) adding 1.5%.
Energy was down 0.7%, with Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) down 0.7%, Woodside Energy Ltd (ASX:WDS) falling 1.6%, Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) down 0.9% and Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX:VEA) losing 1.5%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 3.561%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.1% to 11,336.5.