Following positive offshore leads the Australian share market rose sharply at the open and maintained gains over the course of the day. All sectors rose as investors were encouraged by a possible Greek debt deal.
Figures
The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 74 points or 1.3% higher to finish at 5,684.
The value of trades was $5.6 billion on volume of 827 million shares at the close of trade.
The top three stocks by value were Commonwealth Bank of Australia
(ASX:CBA), Westpac Banking Corporation
(ASX:WBC) and National Australia Bank Limited
(ASX:NAB).
On the futures market the SPI is 68 points higher.
Company News
Healthscope Limited
(ASX:HSO) has inked a deal to sell its local Australian pathology operations. The private hospital operator will sell the operations to Crescent Capital Partners for $105 million. Shares in Healthscope closed 3.4 per cent higher at $2.74.
FlexiGroup Limited
(ASX:FXL) has announced its CEO and Managing Director will depart later this year.
The financial services group says Tarek Robbiati will stay while a search is undertaken for a replacement and then return overseas. Shares in FlexiGroup closed 7 per cent lower at $3.19.
GWA Group Limited
(ASX:GWA) has flagged the retirement of its Managing Director Peter Crowley at the end of June next year.
Human resources start-up 1-Page Limited
(ASX:1PG) has signed another Fortune 200 company to its Sourcing Platform.
Online job outsourcing group Freelancer Limited
(ASX:FLN) says it expects the company’s exceptional growth to continue over the current year.
Benitec Biopharma Limited
(ASX:BLT) has announced plans for an initial public offering the in the US with a listing on the Nasdaq index.
Best and worst performers
The best performing sector was healthcare adding 2 per cent to close at 18,502. The worst performing sector was consumer staples, adding 0.4 per cent to close at 8,587 points.
The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Kathmandu Holdings Ltd, rising 5.6 per cent to close at $1.23. Shares in Premier Investments Limited and Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd also closed higher.
The worst performing stock was Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd, dropping 13.59 per cent to close at $37.51. Shares in FlexiGroup Limited and Cover-More Group Ltd also closed lower.
IPOs Shriro Holdings Limited
(ASX:SHM) started trading today. The kitchen appliances and consumer goods marketing and distributing group floated with an issue price of $1.00, opened at $1.08 and closed at $1.08.
Commodities
Gold is trading at $US1,186 an ounce. Light crude is $0.41 higher at $US60.38 a barrel.
Currencies
The Australian dollar is buying $US0.7714