ASX Ticks Up as Fed Rate Hike Pause Talk Eases Market Nerves

Australian stocks saw a modest gain on Friday, as the S&P/ASX 200 rose by 0.2%.

This uptick was partly driven by comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, who said that cooling US inflation could justify pausing rate hikes.

The Fed's decision has significant implications for interest rates, which can impact various sectors of the market, including tech and financial stocks.

In Australia, economic growth data released recently strengthened the case for a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate hike at its upcoming meeting, with markets pricing in a 67% chance of an increase.