Investing.com - The ASX 200 is set to rise on Thursday, tracking gains on Wall Street after revisions to US jobs data suggested a cooling labor market, boosting the likelihood of a Federal Reserve rate cut next month.
ASX 200 Futures were last trading 1.2% higher, following a 0.4% gain in the S&P 500, a 0.6% rise in the NASDAQ Composite, and a 0.1% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average overnight.
Gold hovered near its record high, oil fell, iron ore bounced, and bitcoin edged above $US61,000 before easing.
Minutes from the latest Fed meeting confirmed that a 25 basis point rate cut in September is likely, as several policymakers signaled their support for a cut last month.
Among local reporting companies, Casino operator Skycity Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX:SKC) reported a statutory loss of NZ$143.3 million for the 2024 financial year, partly due to an A$86.2 million impairment to the value of its Adelaide casino.
Bank Of Queensland Ltd. (ASX:BOQ) confirmed plans to cut around 400 staff as part of a restructure and will take a $25 million to $30 million restructuring charge in financial 2024.
Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX:SUL) reported record sales of $3.9 billion for the year ending June 29, up 2% on the prior year. The group's gross margin climbed 10 basis points to 46.3%, and the retailer declared a special dividend of 50¢ per share.
Gold explorer Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX:NST) doubled its underlying full-year net profit to $689 million and declared a dividend increase to 40¢.
Auckland International Airport Ltd (ASX:AIA) reported an 87% increase in underlying profit to $276.7 million for 2024, driven by a rebound in international passenger traffic. Domestic passenger numbers rose by 5%, and international, including transit, increased by 29%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year and 2-Year rates were at 3.916% and 3.599%, respectively.