Closing Bell 17th March: SmartPay jumps on take over talks. ASX rises to start week
The Australian sharemarket started the week on a strong note, buoyed by risk-on sentiment following China’s pledge to boost consumption and a rally on Wall Street. By early afternoon, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.6% to 7835.3, with the All Ordinaries up a similar margin. Eight of the 11 sectors advanced, led by energy stocks.