Day traders' after-market lounge August 30

Thanks afternoon crew.

End-of-day wrap:

Weaker-than-expected inflation helped catapult the share market to a fresh two-week high as investors bet the Reserve Bank will leave interest rates on hold next week.

The ASX 200 soared 87 points or 1.21% to 7298. Today's rally was the index's third in a row.

Industrial companies, gold miners and healthcare providers spearheaded gains. Wesfarmers and Telstra missed the rally as they traded without the right to the next dividend payment.

A solid opening rally caught fire on news that annual inflation fell back to 4.9% last month from 5.4% in June. Economists had anticipated a smaller drop in annual price increases of around 5.2%.