By Oliver Gray
Investing.com - The ASX 200 added 31.20 points or 0.43% to 7,276.30 in Tuesday’s trade, extending gains for the third consecutive session ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rate decision, while investors proved optimistic on travel-related stocks as fears about the omicron variant of COVID-19 eased after the U.S. chief health adviser Anthony Fauci reported "encouraging" early data.
ASX 200 Futures were trading 0.38% lower.
Among stocks, travel companies gained, with Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) up 4.22%, Flight Centre Ltd (ASX:FLT) adding 5.1%, Webjet Ltd (ASX:WEB) up 3.67% and Sydney Airport Holdings Ltd (ASX:SYD) gaining 0.54%. Big banks also lifted on reopening hopes and higher long term bond yields, with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ) up 0.89%, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) adding 0.68% and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) up 0.82%.
Mining heavyweights fell amid heavy trading, as Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) lost 0.95%, BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) fell 0.45% and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) lost 0.87%. Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:LYC) dropped 0.22% after chief executive Amanda Lacaze sold 200,000 shares.
Energy companies also lifted on higher Crude Oil prices, with Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX:WPL) up 0.93%, Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) adding 1.24%, and Beach Energy Ltd (ASX:BPT) up 3.16%. Oil Search Ltd (ASX:OSH) also lifted 2.52% as the companies’ $A21 billion merger with Santos is set to get the sign-off from shareholders in the Papua New Guinea oil and gas producer today.
On the bond markets, Australia 10-Year rates were at 1.601% while United States 10-Year yields were at 1.431%.
Meantime, economists expect the Reserve Bank to hold rates at 0.1% today ahead of a two-month break before its February meeting where its emergency bond buying program at $A4 billion per week is expected to come up for review.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 was 0.45% higher at 12,655.