Half-time wrap:
Aussie stocks kicked to a six-week high following a Chinese pledge of further stimulus measures, and back-to-back gains on Wall Street during the Anzac Day long weekend.
The ASX 200 rallied 64 points or 0.8% by mid-session. The Australian benchmark climbed to its highest since March 7.
Tech, healthcare and energy were the pick of the sectors. Megaport, Nextdc and Iluka Resources all gained at least 4.5%. The bulk metal miners dragged after iron ore turned lower at the end of last week.
China this morning reaffirmed its commitment to support its economy as US tariffs add to headwinds. The state planner said it would unveil new policies this quarter. The central bank said it would step up support for the economy.
US stocks posted back-to-back gains while Australians enjoyed a long weekend. The S&P 500 put on 2.03% on Thursday night and another 0.74% on Friday. Buying interest was maintained for a fourth session following reports that China's commerce ministry was soliciting possible exemptions to its tariffs on US imports.
Personal trading: Disrupted morning due to the death of a monitor. (RIP Dellboy - served me well these last... 20 years? Yikes.) Caught some of the fleeting bounce in BVS. In and out of RMD for brokerage. Part-fill in ORD. Right, I'm off to the computing deserts of Katoomba to try to find a monitor.