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Australian shares climbed more than 1% on Friday, led by gains in miners and banks as investors were cheered by signs of a thaw in stalled Sino-US trade talks.

Australia's S&P 200 index closed higher for a second straight week. It climbed 1.5%, or 96.8 points, to end at 6,604.2 on the day.

China's commerce ministry said a September round of meetings was being discussed with Washington, but added it was important for Washington to cancel a tariff increase.

Investors also looked to China's official manufacturing survey, expected over the weekend, which would provide a good gauge of the real impact from the Sino-US trade war.

However, Australia's benchmark saw its worst monthly loss since October and fell over 3% in August, a month dominated by several trade war flare-ups and global recessions fears.

Positive trade salvo helped mining stocks tack on 1.6% for the day.

Iron ore miners BHP Group Ltd, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals rose between 2.2% and 4.2%. Heavyweight banking stocks led gains on the main index, with the "Big Four" notching up between 1% and 2.1%.

Blue-chip healthcare stocks also benefited from improved risk sentiment, with biotherapeutics firm CSL Ltd and hearing implant maker Cochlear Ltd jumping 2.3% and 2.2%, respectively.

While signs of easing trade tensions placated recession fears, it weighed on the safe-haven appeal of gold stocks and sent them 0.9% lower, the only sector that ended in the red.

Gold miner Evolution Mining declined 1%.

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark index surged 1.7%, or 177.13 points, to 10,757.2. It added 1.3% this week, its best weekly gain since late June.

Copyright Reuters, 2019


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