Australia's share market has broken a four-session losing streak, albeit unconvincingly, after a rebound in banks and continued strength in major miners tipped the bourse into positive territory.
The S&P/ASX200 rose 10.3 points on Thursday, up 0.12 per cent to 8,640.7, as the broader All Ordinaries edged four points higher, or 0.05 per cent, to 8,884.7.
The exchange has lost ground on 16 of the past 21 trading days, with the Persian Gulf energy shock, higher local interest rates and a series of disappointing earnings results from major Australian companies weighing on investor sentiment.
The Australian dollar is buying 72.56 US cents, up from 72.36 US cents on Wednesday at 5pm.