The ASX lost some of its earlier gains but still ended the session in the black.
Here's a quick recap:
- S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) up 0.7% to 5,268 points
- ALL ORDINARIES (Index: ^AXAO) (ASX: XAO) up 0.7% to 5,303 points
- AUD/USD at US 72.87 cents
- Iron Ore at US$53.74 a tonne, according to the Metal Bulletin
- Gold at US$1,177.88 an ounce
- Brent oil at US$50.05 a barrel
Local shares got a boost from a strong session on Wall Street overnight, driven by reasonable corporate earnings reports.
The big banks played a key role in pushing the market higher. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) jumped 1.5%, while National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) rose 0.8% and 0.4%.
The miners acted as a drag on the market. BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) fell 0.5% and 1%, although Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) rose 4.8%.
Ten Network Holdings Ltd (ASX: TEN) was the top performing stock, lifting 11.8%. Iluka Resources Limited (ASX: ILU) fell 8.2%.
Here are Friday's top stories:
