Aust stocks close slightly higher

The Australian sharemarket inched up at the close today as investors around the world sat on the sidelines waiting for key employment data from the United States, due out overnight.

At the 4.15pm (AEDT) official market close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index lifted 12.9 points, or 0.24%, to 5,422.8 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index added 12.9 points, or 0.24%, to 5,428.6 points.

As investors look for fresh catalysts for larger moves, IG chief market strategist Chris Weston said Asia largely had a trading day to forget

"Whether this is just because of today’s US payrolls is debatable, as I get the sense that this is a market that is really keen to see a genuine improvement in US data again and look to regain the momentum the economy was building prior to polar vortex," Mr Weston said.

"Traders are now seeing fragmentations in the stance among G10 currency central banks again and are trying to differentiate those who are thinking about rate hikes and those who could become more loose."