By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 added 42 points or 0.6% to 7,040.1 after the first hour of Thursday’s trade, extending gains of 0.5% in the previous session as market participants digested a fresh batch of corporate earnings from local companies.
ASX 200 Futures were up 0.3%.
Among stocks, Energy led the gains, up 2.2% overall. Woodside Energy Ltd (ASX:WDS) gained 2.3%, Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) added 1.8% and Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) lifted 2.8%. South32 Ltd (ASX:S32) also added 1.2% as the company posted its largest annual profit since it was created in 2015.
Real Estate companies were up 1.4%, with Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) up 1.4%, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) adding 6.2%, Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) up 1.8% and Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX:SGP) adding 1.8%.
Materials lifted 1% overall, with Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) up 0.2%, BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) adding 0.6%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) up 0.5% while Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) dipped 1.1%.
Among other reporting companies, Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) shed 4.1% after posting a 9.6% decrease in total group sales for 2022, amid ongoing supply disruptions, while earnings fell 2.7%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 3.705% while United States 10-Year yields were at 3.109%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 was flat at 11,657.1.