The Australian share market continues to push higher after the US Federal Reserve announced a cautious stance on interest rate rises, though minor losses among the big banks have softened morning gains.
Westpac had dropped 0.2 per cent by noon AEDT, while the National Australia Bank and ANZ had fallen just over 0.1 per cent and the Commonwealth Bank was down just 0.03 per cent.
Mining giant BHP Billiton has lifted into the green since the open, up three cents at $16.74, while Rio Tinto was also trading higher, up 26 cents to $42.40. Fortescue Metals has remained almost the same, up four cents at $2.58.
As tipped by Bell Direct analyst Julia Lee at the open, risk assets have gone up, with gold miners Newcrest and Evolution each rising more than four per cent.
KEY FACTS:
* At 1201 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 8.1 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 5,012.6 points.
* The broader All Ordinaries index was up 8.3 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 5,084.5 points.
* The June share price index futures contract was 2 points higher at 4,995 points, with 17,093 contracts traded.
* National turnover was $793.2 million securities traded, worth $1.22 billion.
