By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 added 79.6 points or 1.1% to 7,276.2 after the first 90 minutes of Thursday’s trade, extending gains of 0.9% in the previous session and trading near 5-week highs, with investors tracking a positive close on Wall Street overnight as growing hopes of easing inflation boosted sentiment.
ASX 200 Futures were pointing 0.4% higher.
Information technology led gains, up 1.3% with Block Inc (ASX:SQ2) adding 1.5%, Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) up 1.9%, Novonix Ltd (ASX:NVX) lifting 2.9% and Altium Ltd (ASX:ALU) up 1.2%.
Materials were 1.2% higher as Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) lifted 0.6%, BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) added 1.3%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) gained 1.8% and Champion Iron Ltd (ASX:CIA) added 0.4%. Meantime, Gold miner Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX:GOR) dipped 1.9% after reporting production figures that missed expectations.
Among stocks, real estate was also up , up 1% as Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) added 0.8%, Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) gained 1.4%, Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) lifted 0.7% and Scentre Group Ltd (ASX:SCG) gained 1.2%.
Ahead in the session, traders will get a glimpse of November’s trade balance data.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 3.765% and United States 10-Year yields were at 3.608%.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 0.1% to 11,679.3.