Gillian Bowen

Okay, interesting data.

Our team is monitoring developments on today's local trading session.

So if you follow the CompSec Market Update podcast, you'll get a notification when this afternoon's episode drops shortly after the market closes.

I'm Gillian Bowen.

Well, it's the end of the week, so I'm back here on the podcast with James.

I pop up on a Monday and a Friday morning to bookend the week.

And hello to anyone who is new to our podcast.

It's great to have you here listening along to all the market action.

And it's been another big week of corporate earnings out of the US, which has played a

Thursday's action there has seen uncertainty over the Middle East conflict come back into play.

What's going on?

Well, it appears the US and Iran remain at loggerheads over the path to peace.

Information has been filtering through

About the two sides working towards a limited and temporary halt to the war, that draft framework has three stages.

So formally ending the war, resolving the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and then launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement.

But James, we're not there yet.

Okay, well, with that in mind, what's on the cards for our market when it opens in a few hours' time?

Well, and yesterday, so Thursday, the ASX 200 did finish in positive territory and that marks two days in a row of gains.

The market gained 85 points or 1% to 8,878 and crossed above its 200-day moving average.

So seven of the 11 sectors rose, led by rally in miners, which were up 3.7%, but energy lagged on softer oil prices down almost 3%.