End-of-day summary:
A fresh explosion of AI mania on Wall Street helped sweep the Australian share market higher for a second day.
Tech stocks led as the ASX 200 rallied 32 points or 0.43%. The domestic I.T. sector climbed 1.51% to a two-year high following the Nasdaq's strongest rally in 12 months. Afterpay owner Block, Weebit Nano and Data#3 were among the day's best.
The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 2.96% overnight after AI chip-maker smashed Q4 earnings expectations and flagged bigger gains this quarter as demand for AI chips accelerates. The S&P 500 jumped 2.11% to a record close.
Today's rally fell short of reversing selling pressure through the first half of the week. The ASX 200 eased 15 points or 0.2% for the week.
