Aust stocks open stronger

The Australian stock market pushed higher at the open after Wall Street's strong gains following better-than-expected United States jobs figures.

At the 1015 AEDT official market open, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 0.68%, at 5,437.3 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index fell 0.67% to 5,430.5 points.

The US Labor Department reported the US economy added 204,000 jobs in October, double what analysts forecast, and revisions to the previous two months added another 60,000 jobs.

Locally, in economic news, Reserve Bank of Australia head of domestic markets department Chris Aylmer speaks on Developments in Secured Issuance and RBA Reporting Initiatives, at the Australian Securitisation 2013 Annual Conference.

And, the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases housing finance figures for September.

In Australia, the market on Friday fell as weaker commodity prices weighed down the big miners and banking giant Westpac paid out its dividend.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 21.3 points, or 0.39%, at 5,400.7 points.

The broader All Ordinaries index was down 21 points, or 0.39%, at 5,394.4 points.