The Australian sharemarket finished higher on Tuesday following a mixed session among United States benchmarks overnight, with Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) officials holding rates steady, ahead of looming tariff announcements set for later in the week.
The S&P/ASX 200 closed higher on Tuesday, rising 81.8 points or 1% to 7,925.2, with all 11 sectors finishing in positive territory.
Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) outperformed, climbing 2.2% as Goodman Group added 2.7%, Mirvac Group lifted 1.9%, Scentre Group gained 1.8%, and Lendlease rose 1.4%.
The utilities sector also advanced, driven by strength in Origin Energy, AGL Energy, and Mercury NZ, up 2.7%, 1.8%, and 1.2%, respectively, while Meridian Energy surged 6%.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept interest rates unchanged at 4.1%, in line with market expectations.
Policymakers noted that while inflation is moderating, a high level of uncertainty remains regarding the economic outlook.
Meanwhile, retail sales data showed a 0.2% month-over-month increase, reflecting steady consumer spending.
On the bond markets, the yield on 10-year and 2-year Australian government bonds stood at 4.380% and 3.679%, respectively.
