Banks lift ASX
Australian shares notched their first positive session for the week as inflation and bond market jitters eased, but ex-dividend drops in BHP, Woodside and Coles limited the upside.
The S&P/ASX 200 rose 41.7 points on Thursday, up 0.46%, to 9,020.1, as the broader All Ordinaries gained 38 points, or 0.41%, to 9,198.3.
Bond yields retreat
Rebounding bank stocks helped lift the heavyweight financials sector more than 1% to its highest level in more than two weeks, as local bond yields retreated from Wednesday's spike.
Gold miners were among the top 200's best performers as the precious metal recovered to $US4,434 an ounce, thanks largely to easing US Treasury yields and a softer greenback.
The Australian dollar is buying 71.63 US cents, up from 71.39 US cents on Wednesday at 5pm.
