Australian shares looked set to open higher Friday, ignoring a somber tone on Wall Street that followed the previous session's rally.
Overnight, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.2% each, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.9%. Thursday's data showed that US retail sales rose 0.4% in December 2024, lower than Bloomberg's consensus for a 0.6% increase.
In corporate news, the Banking Code Compliance Committee alleged that Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) charged AU$158,834 in fees and interests to dead customers' accounts between 2019 and 2023, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.
Latin Resources (ASX:LRS) said the requisite majorities of its shareholders voted for the proposed acquisition of the company by Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) via a scheme of arrangement, according to a Thursday filing with the Australian bourse.
Elsewhere, Aussie Broadband (ASX:ABB) Chief Executive Brian Maher will be appointed as group CEO from March 1, per a Friday Australian bourse filing.
Australia's benchmark index rose 1.4%, or 113.70 points, Thursday to close at 8,327.
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