ASX 200 rises; Boral books 53 per cent profit increase, BHP suspends WA iron ore ops after fatality

Financials and material push ASX higher. Boral books 53 per cent profit jump. BHP suspends WA ops after fatal incident. Elders unsure of share fall. Amcor flags soft outlook.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Newswire Photos -November 14, 2022 A general view of members of the public walking past the digital boards at the ASX in Sydney. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Wednesday, February 8. The Australian sharemarket has broken a two-day losing streak off the back of strong gains in the financials and materials sectors.

The S&P/ASX 200 index closed up by 0.4 per cent to 7530.10.

Wall Street is expected to open little changed this evening with futures tied to S&P 500 flat, Nasdaq 100 was up 0.1 per cent and the Dow Jones was down 0.1 per cent.

The Aussie dollar was near US69.60c at the close.