1. SYDNEY — The Australian dollar is up against the greenback ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s keenly-anticipated inauguration. The local currency was trading at 75.57 US cents at 0705 AEDT on Friday, up from 75.23 on Thursday. The Aussie hit 75.74 US cents Thursday evening Australian time. 2. SYDNEY — The Australian share market is set to open lower as US stocks trade lower in afternoon trade on Thursday as investors stayed away from making risky bets ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration Friday. At 0705 AEDT, the local SPI 200 futures contract was down 16 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 5,621 points. 3. WASHINGTON — US home building rebounded sharply in December as a firming economy boosts demand for rental housing, while an unexpected drop in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week pointed to a further tightening in the labour market.
