Local shares set for another boost as global shares lifted on expectations of a UK rate cut.
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What you need2know
SPI futures up 50 points or 1% to 5226 at about 6am Sydney time
AUD at 74.51 US cents, 76.91 Japanese yen, 67.19 Euro cents and 56.10 British pence
On Wall St, about 4pm New York time, Dow +1.3%, S&P 500 +1.1%, Nasdaq +1.3%
In New York, BHP +2.7%, Rio +4.4%
In Europe, Stoxx 50 +1.2%, FTSE +2.3%, CAC 1%, DAX +0.7%
Spot gold +0.3% to $US1322.88 an ounce
Brent crude -1.8% to $US49.68 a barrel
Iron ore + 3.3% to $US55.66 per tonne
What's on today
CoreLogic RP Data house prices
Currencies
A rate cut is probably necessary within months, Bank of England chief Mark Carney said Thursday in his second televised address since the country voted to leave the trading and political bloc. Sterling's decline on Thursday was its first in three days. "It now seems plausible that uncertainty could remain elevated for some time," Carney said. "The economic outlook has deteriorated and some monetary policy easing will likely be needed over the summer."
The pound dropped 1.4 per cent, weakening to $US1.3247 at 5.43pm London time. The pound has fallen about 11 per cent since the EU vote.
Commodities
The Bloomberg Commodity Index is set for its best quarter since 2010, rallying 13 per cent as surpluses shrank in some commodities. Oil headed for the biggest quarterly surge since 2009 and zinc is set for its best quarter in almost six years.
United States
Wall Street rolled to a third straight day of gains on Thursday as Britain's central bank raised the prospect of stimulus and consumer staples shares gained on news of Mondelez International's $23 billion bid for Hershey.
"Central banks are doing their best to step in and send stocks higher," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive officer of Sarhan Capital. "I think the Fed is more than ready to follow suit if market conditions worsen."
Europe
June was a month for the record books in European stocks. The UK's decision to leave the European Union sent the number of Stoxx Europe 600 Index shares changing hands to a daily average of about 4.1 billion, the most since May 2010.
The Stoxx Europe 600 fell as much as 0.9 per cent in early trading, before recovering to spend most of the session little changed, and then strengthening as Carney spoke. It has now recouped more than half of the losses caused by Friday's shock vote for British secession.
What happened yesterday
Shares skipped higher again on Thursday, as expectations increased that central banks around the world would increase stimulus and investors finished a disappointing financial year on a high.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index and the broader All Ordinaries Index rose 1.8 per cent and 1.7 per cent to 5233.4 points and 5310.4 points respectively on Thursday. However, for the financial year, the top 200 index was down 4.1 per cent.