Australia's share market has edged lower ahead of the Christmas break, but the shortened week has provided a solid boost, keeping hopes of a Santa rally intact.
The S&P/ASX200 fell 33 points during Wednesday's abridged session, down 0.38 per cent, to 8,762.7, as the broader All Ordinaries lost 27.2 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 9,069.
Despite the soft finish, the top 200 has gained 1.6 per cent across the three-day week and the Aussie dollar has surged to its highest value since October 2024, buoyed by the interest rate outlook and hopes of a global economic upswing on better-than-expected US GDP figures.
The Aussie was buying 67.07 US cents at 2.10pm AEDT, breaking the 67 US cent level for the first time since September, and up from 66.66 US cents on Tuesday at 5pm.