INVESTORS have welcomed news that Italy's cabinet, led by the new Prime Minister, Mario Monti, will pursue ?30 billion ($39.4 billion) of austerity and growth measures in an attempt to shore up the country's finances before Thursday's summit of European leaders.
That helped to propel the share market higher yesterday, building on last week's strong gains, after the Australian Labor Party voted on the weekend to end the ban on uranium exports to India, removing a hurdle to growth for producers such as BHP Billiton and Paladin Energy.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 rose 33.3 points, or 0.78 per cent, to 4321.3, taking the index above 4300 points for the fifth time in four months. In the past six days, the index has rallied 8.7 per cent.
The Labor Party's decision on uranium sales will pave the way for the Gillard government to negotiate a nuclear-safeguards accord and pursue closer diplomatic ties with the country. Trade between Australia and India hit $18.4 billion last year.
Materials and energy led the charge on the local stock exchange as investors reacted positively to the news, with junior uranium miners outperforming their sector.
"There's some positive momentum, but we need some good news to keep it going," Cameron Peacock, a strategist at IG Markets, said. "The news from Italy helped us higher, but it could all unwind very quickly, as we've seen so often this year."
But it failed to excite the Australian dollar as traders held their breath before today's interest rate decision. Despite a small 0.5? rally in the morning, it settled on $US1.02.
Economists remained split on whether the Reserve Bank would cut rates, but markets were tipping a cut of a quarter of a percentage point. Rates were cut by that margin on Melbourne Cup day one month ago for the first time in 2? years.
Investors also await interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England on Thursday, both highly anticipated.
Chinese inflation figures are due out on Friday. Investors will want to see if recent moves by central authorities to apply the economic brakes have been successful.
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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
How did Italy's €30 billion debt package affect global and Australian stock markets?
Investors welcomed news that Italy's cabinet would pursue a €30 billion package of austerity and growth measures, which helped lift sentiment and contributed to share markets moving higher ahead of a European leaders' summit.
What did the Australian Labor Party's decision to lift the uranium export ban to India mean for miners?
The decision to end the ban cleared a hurdle to growth for uranium producers and exporters, benefiting companies such as BHP Billiton and Paladin Energy and helping junior uranium miners outperform their sector.
How did the S&P/ASX200 perform after these developments?
The S&P/ASX200 rose 33.3 points (0.78%) to 4,321.3, pushing the index above 4,300 points for the fifth time in four months; the index had rallied 8.7% over the prior six days.
Why didn't the Australian dollar strengthen more even though share markets rose?
Traders were cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank's interest rate decision, so despite a small 0.5% morning lift the Australian dollar settled around US$1.02 as markets awaited clarity on rates.
Are markets expecting an RBA interest rate cut and what size is anticipated?
Markets were tipping a cut of a quarter of a percentage point to the RBA cash rate; economists were split, noting the RBA had cut by that margin one month earlier on Melbourne Cup day.
Which central bank decisions and economic data should everyday investors watch next?
Investors were watching interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England (both due Thursday) and Chinese inflation figures due on Friday, as these events could influence global markets.
What does the recent market momentum mean for everyday investors?
There was positive momentum driving gains, particularly in materials and energy, but strategists warned the rally could unwind quickly without more good news, so investors should be mindful of volatility.
Are there specific sectors or companies that stood out in the recent market move?
Materials and energy led the charge, with junior uranium miners outperforming after the export decision; the change also removes a growth hurdle for major producers mentioned in the article, including BHP Billiton and Paladin Energy.
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