Australian dollar up

The Australian dollar has risen slightly Friday to 72.80 US cents, up from 72.74 US cents on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Aussie held at 72.22 US cents on Wednesday, having bounced from a trough of 71.64 on Tuesday on news of a resumption of trade talks between Beijing and Washington.

Australian data showed wage growth inched up to an annual 2.3 per cent in the third quarter, the fastest pace since 2015 but bang in line with market forecasts.

The pick-up is still painfully slow and did nothing to change expectations the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will keep interest rates steady for months yet.

Australian government bond futures firmed in line with Treasuries, partly on wagers the recent sharp slide in oil prices would temper future inflation globally.

The three-year bond contract added one tick to 97.845, while the 10-year contract rose two ticks to 97.2800.

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