The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is poised to open slightly higher on Thursday on the back of a stronger session in New York where bank results cheered investors.
At the time of writing, ASX futures trading pointed to the S&P / ASX 200 index adding just 0.05% at the start at 10:00 am AEDT (11:00 GMT Wednesday) with the December share price index contract quoted just five points above the previous settlement at 9,024.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index ended higher on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) after Morgan Stanley and Bank of America rallied on solid quarterly results while investors remained focused on the recent increase in China-U.S. trade tensions.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase had reported solid performances the previous day.
"People are spending, and the consumer seems to be fine. That's been one of the messages from the bank earnings," GLOBALT senior portfolio manager Thomas Martin was quoted in a Reuters story as saying.
"Employment is not falling like a stone. Both inflation and employment are within ranges that are basically reasonable."
The S&P 500 gained 0.40% and the Nasdaq composite Index added 0.66% but the Dow Jones Industrial Average eased 0.04%.
The Australian sharemarket had closed 1% higher at 8,990.9 on Wednesday, with 10 of the 11 sectors finishing higher and health care, materials and financials particularly strong.
Shares in focus today will include Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG) following the sale of a data centre business for a record price.
Today, employment data is scheduled to be published, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock and Assistant Governor Christopher Kent are due to deliver speeches, and Santos (ASX: STO) issues quarterly results..
Australian Government bond yields were unchanged at the short end, with two-year rates steady at 3.459% and higher at the long end, with 10-year rates rising 0.24% to 4.246%.
