By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 lifted 33.3 points or 0.5% to 6,601.3 after the first 45 minutes of Friday’s trade, starting the new financial year in the green and snapping two sessions of consecutive declines.
ASX 200 Futures were trading 0.1% higher.
Among stocks, Industrials were the most improved, up 2% overall as Reece Ltd (ASX:REH) lifted 2.8%, Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) gained 1.8% and Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) added 0.9%. Brambles Ltd (ASX:BXB) also popped 3.9% after the company announced its decision not to participate in the potential transition to plastic pallets in Costco's (NASDAQ:COST) U.S. supply chain.
Utilities lifted 1.4%, with Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX:MEZ) adding %, Origin Energy Ltd (ASX:ORG) down 0.5%, APA Group (ASX:APA) lifting 2.1% and AGL Energy Ltd (ASX:AGL) up 1%.
Financials gained 0.9%, with Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) up 0.7%, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ) adding 0.9%, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX:CBA) up 0.6%, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) gaining 1.6% and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) up 0.7%.
Information Technology gained 1.1% as Appen Ltd (ASX:APX) added 2.9%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) lifted 2.4%, Xero Ltd (ASX:XRO) added 1.3%, Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX:BRN) gained 1.6% and Novonix Ltd (ASX:NVX) added 0.9%.
Materials fell 1% following a further decline in Iron ore and Copper prices overnight. Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) fell 1.5%, BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) lost 2.2%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) fell 1.5% and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) lost 1.3%.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 3.603% while United States 10-Year yields were at 3.018%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.2% to 10,893.4.