WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has surged to a nine-month high as the greenback extends its declines following the US Federal Reserve policy meeting
At 0650 AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 76.43 US cents, up from 75.97 cents on Thursday.
The Australian market looks set to open higher following a strong lead from Wall Street in the wake of this week's lower interest rate projections by the Federal Reserve.
At 0645 AEDT on Friday, the share price index was up 34 points at 5,204.
ELSEWHERE:
WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose from a five-month low last week, but remained below a level associated with a strengthening labor market.
WASHINGTON - Average long-term US mortgage rates rose this week for the third straight week.
WASHINGTON - Amazon should allow shareholders to vote on a proposal on gender pay equality, the US securities regulator decided this week in rejecting the retailer's request to omit the measure from its annual ballot.
NEW YORK - Caterpillar expects its first-quarter results to come in below Wall Street's view as it continues to deal with weak product demand.
HONG KONG - Hong Kong billionaire tycoon Li Ka-shing says if Britain votes to leave the European Union, his company will invest less in the country, where its businesses span ports to mobile phones.
ATHENS - Greek unemployment increased to 24.4 per cent in the last three months of 2015, as a leading labour union warned that joblessness will not return to pre-crisis levels for at least 20 years.
LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline's Chief Executive Andrew Witty will retire in 12 months, after leading the British drugmaker through a series of changes since 2008 that have failed to ignite the share price.
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