Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Ends at Five-Week High as Banks Offset Tech Rout
Australian stocks managed a modest climb on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 ending 0.2% higher at 8,973.20—a level not seen since March 3. Banks did most of the heavy lifting for the benchmark, though steep losses among tech names limited further gains. The market stayed close to the 9,000 mark after Wednesday’s 2.6% surge—the sharpest one-day rise in a year—when that unexpected U.S.-Iran ceasefire sent oil briefly under $100 a barrel and sparked renewed interest in battered shares. Australian stocks had dropped roughly 8% in March, making this bounce particularly swift.