By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 added 54.4 points or 0.8% to 6,944.1 after the first hour of Friday's trade, tracking a positive session on Wall Street overnight after data showing the US economy was slowing reinforced expectations of a dovish pivot from Federal Reserve policymakers.
ASX 200 Futures were pointing 0.1% lower.
Among stocks, Information Technology increased 1% overall. Block Inc (ASX:SQ2) gained 2.9%, Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) lifted 0.9%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) added 0.5%, Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX:BRN) dipped 7.5% and Novonix Ltd (ASX:NVX) added 1.8%.
Materials lifted 1.1% with Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) up 0.7%, BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) gaining 1.4%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) easing 0.2% and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) lifting 2.5%.
Real estate companies added 1.7% collectively as Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) gained 2.5%, Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) lifted 0.5%, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) added 3.1% and Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX:SGP) lifted 1.6%.
Utilities were up 1.1% as Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX:MCY) added 0.9%, Origin Energy Ltd (ASX:ORG) lifted 1.8%, Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX:GNE) added 1.2%, Infratil Ltd (ASX:IFT) lifted 2.9% and AGL Energy Ltd (ASX:AGL) gained 0.7%.
Financials lifted 0.5% with Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) up 1.6%, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX:CBA) lifting 0.8%, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) adding 0.6%, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ) up 0.3% and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) gaining 0.5%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were 3.091% while United States 10-Year yields were at 2.687%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.8% to 11,416.2.