The local share market has climbed its highest since Christmas Eve after the release of US jobs data suggesting the world's largest economy is in overall good shape.
The S&P 500 rallied to a record high close on Friday, lifted by Broadcom and other chipmakers, while a weaker-than-expected jobs report did little to alter expectations of interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year.
The Australian share market has finished flat heading into another important US jobs readout and a potential blockbuster Supreme Court ruling on the legality of Donald Trump's trade war.
Wall Street has ended mixed as Nvidia and other technology stocks dipped while defence companies advanced after President Donald Trump called for an enlarged $US1.5 trillion military budget.
Australia's share market has clutched a second straight session of gains but continued to trade within a tight range as investors mull ongoing geopolitical concerns.
The S&P 500 has ended lower, pulled down by declines in JPMorgan, Blackstone and other financials, while Nvidia and Alphabet lifted the Nasdaq as investors shifted towards AI-related stocks.
Strong miners and IT stocks have helped push Australia's share market higher despite a slip in banks and the energy sector, as oil prices butt up against global uncertainty.
President Donald Trump has said on his social media site that "Interim Authorities" in Venezuela would be providing 30 million to 50 million barrels of "High Quality" oil to the US at its market price.
Wall Street has ended higher as chip stocks surged on renewed AI optimism, Moderna rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a record high.
An early lift for Australia's share market has crumbled to a loss, after valuation concerns and portfolio rebalancing dragged on the heavyweight banking sector.
Wall Street has ended higher, with surging financial shares helping lift the Dow Jones Industrial Average to an all-time peak, while energy firms jumped after a US military strike captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Strong commodity prices have helped balance Australia's stock market despite fossil fuels dipping as investors weigh the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces.
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland have urged US President Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland, after he reiterated his wish to do so in an interview.
Political upheaval in oil producer Venezuela is being weighed by investors, with prices inching upwards after the US seized the South American nation's leader.
The Dow has closed higher on Friday, starting 2026 by snapping a four-day losing streak, but gains in chip makers Nvidia and Intel could not hoist Wall Street's other indexes into solidly positive territory.
Australia's share market has struggled to find a clear direction, as strong performances from iron ore producers helped ballast a lumbering energy sector, which is on track for its worst week since April.
Western Australia has again led the pack for national population growth, with overseas migration the primary driver pushing the state's population beyond three million.
