Australian Market Report of February 22: Down on US Discount Rate Hike
Australian shares and Asian markets Friday were down on the US Federal Reserve's decision to raise the discount rate for the first time since the financial crisis. NAB's flat cash earnings result also weighed on the Australian shares. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index declined 19.8 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 4635.1, while the broader All Ordinaries index slid 17.6 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 4656.3. The local market gained 2 per cent for the week.