AU Morning Wrap: ASX Rises; BHP, Fortescue Shares Rally

U.S. stocks rose Thursday, ending the $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$'s longest bear market since the 1940s and marking the start of a new bull run.

The $Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US)$ climbed 1% and the $Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US)$ rose 0.5% to 33833.

The $S&P/ASX 200 (.XJO.AU)$ rose 0.2 per cent, or 11.1 points to 7118.2 at market open, led by gains in mining and technology stocks.

Materials were the best performing sector, up 1.2 per cent. $BHP Group Ltd (BHP.AU)$ shares rallied 1.2 per cent. $Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$ rose 1.5 per cent. $Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AU)$ added 0.5 per cent. $Evolution Mining Ltd (EVN.AU)$ rose 1.8 per cent. $Mineral Resources Ltd (MIN.AU)$ rose 1.8 per cent.

Technology stocks were also in the green. $WiseTech Global Ltd (WTC.AU)$ shares increased 1.4 per cent. $Xero Ltd (XRO.AU)$ rose 0.5 per cent. $Megaport Ltd (MP1.AU)$ added 1.1 per cent.

Energy was the worst performing sector. $Woodside Energy Group Ltd (WDS.AU)$ lost 0.6 per cent. $Santos Ltd (STO.AU)$ dropped 1.1 per cent. $Yancoal Australia Ltd (YAL.AU)$ shed 1.1 per cent.

$Fortescue Ltd (FMG.AU)$: has announced that Jennifer Morris will vacate her position on the board. Morris was first appointed to the board in November 2016.

$Starpharma Holdings Ltd (SPL.AU)$: Starpharma chief executive officer Dr Jackie Fairley has announced her retirement. Fairley has been in the position since 2006. The pharmaceutical company says it will commence a global search for her replacement.

$MoneyMe Ltd (MME.AU)$: MoneyMe says it has raised $4.3 million through a share purchase plan. It comes as the loan lender made a $32 million repayment of their SocietyOne acquisition last month.

Trading Ex-div: $ALS Ltd (ALQ.AU)$

Dividends Paid: $Nufarm Ltd (NUF.AU)$