The Australian share market improved with the indexes reporting firm trading and early gains at Friday noon, with investors showing interest after the previous session’s weakness.

At 1205 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.59 per cent to 4,928.5 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index rose up 0.5 per cent to 4,955.7. However, the Australian dollar registered a low opening at US$0.9183-US$0.9187 in early trades, down from US$0.9208-US$0.9210 on Thursday.

The financial sector too reported a firm gain on account of the positive performance by the four banks. ANZ Banking Group jumped 1.22 per cent to $22.39, while Westpac Banking Corporation climbed 1.47 per cent to $25.42. Commonwealth Bank pushed up 1.35 per cent to $56.19 and National Australia Bank edged up 0.14 per cent to $27.03.

From the mining sector, BHP Billiton reports a marginal fall and Newcrest Mining is trading lower by 1.3%, while Rio Tinto has gained about 0.6%. Fortescue Metals is losing about 1.5%. Orica, Incitec Pivot and Lihir Gold are also trading weak, while Bluescope Steel depicts modest gains.

However, the construction sector witnessed a sluggish activity reporting a rise of 1.7 points to 49.3 in December, claimed the Australian Industry Group-Housing Industry Association performance of construction index (PCI).

The recent survey of 200 firms revealed tight credit conditions, hampering the growth of major projects. However, work on new houses increased for the sixth straight month.