Thanks afternoon crew.
End-of-day summary:
The share market closed near a record after a drop in inflation bolstered the case for an August interest rate cut.
The ASX 200 rallied 52 points or 0.6% to 8756.4, less than a point below the previous closing high of 8757.2 set on July 18. The index also fell 3.4 points short of surpassing its intraday peak of 8776.4, also set on July 18.
Retailers, real estate trusts and banks led the charge after the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported headline annual inflation fell to a four-year low last quarter. Underlying inflation also declined, removing an impediment to the third rate cut of the year when the Reserve Bank meets next month.
Today's rally defied weak leads from Wall Street, where stocks retreated ahead of a Federal Reserve rates decision tonight and earnings this week from several market heavyweights. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3% to its first loss in seven sessions.
