The Australian dollar has risen Tuesday, trading at 72.19 US cents up from 71.77 US cents.

The local currency was at 71.60 US cents at Friday’s close.

One Australian dollar buys 76.40 up from yesterday’s 76.39 Japanese yen; 60.76 Euro cents from 60.57 Euro cents; 55.05 British pence up from 54.78 British pence; and 110.05 NZ cents from 109.80 NZ cents.

Yesterday, Australia’s share market produced its poorest session of the month at the start of a bumper week of earnings reports.

The S&P/ASX200 benchmark index closed lower by 49.8 points, or 0.81 per cent, to 6076.4 points on Monday.

The All Ordinaries index closed down by 43.2 points, or 0.69 per cent, at 6218.5.

The market opened lower after a stagnant US lead, and remained down.

The biggest drags were financials, down 1.71 per cent, and telecommunications, lower by 1.63 per cent.

Industrials slipped 1.39 per cent and information technology fell 1.36 per cent.

The head of research at broker Pepperstone, Chris Weston, said it was a defensive day on the market.

He noted Aussies shares failed to lift while the US futures index had been higher.

“We’re looking for some sort of sign that we’re going to see better earnings from companies,” he said of a Covid-19 wrecked economy.

“And in the absence of a better outlook from companies, there’s not much we’re going to do.”

Companies making up about 40 per cent of the ASX200’s market capitalisation would give results this week, Weston said.

That could make investors nervous.

“If you’re going into reporting season with the expectation companies aren’t going to give much (optimism) in their outlook, perhaps it’s a good idea to reduce your position,” he said.

Australia has again recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic after 25 people died in Victoria in the previous 24 hours. However the state’s restrictions are reducing infections. There were 282 new cases.

On the market, Australia’s largest steel maker BlueScope had a 91 per cent dive in full-year profit after a $197 million write-down of its New Zealand and Pacific Islands operations.

BlueScope reported net profit after tax of $96.5 million, but maintained the same shareholder dividend as this time last year of eight cents per share, unfranked.

Its shares were up 2.32 per cent to $12.35.

JB Hi-Fi has been buoyed by customers spending more on electronic equipment to shore up home offices during the coronavirus pandemic, posting a 21 per cent profit increase for the 2019/20 financial year.

The profit of $302 million came as sales rose 11.6 per cent to $7.9 billion across the group, which includes stores in both Australia and New Zealand and the Good Guys whitegoods retailer.

The group is paying a dividend increase of 47 cents per share – or 33 per cent – to $1.89 per share.

Shares in the company were up 4.8 per cent to $49.60.

Another business which enjoyed benefits from the pandemic was Kogan, which posted a 55.9 per cent jump in full-year profit.

The business reaped $26.8 million in net profit for the 2019/20 financial year as consumers shunned bricks and mortar shops.

Shareholders will receive a dividend of 13.5 cents per share, fully franked, higher from the 2019 payout of 8.2 cents per share, fully franked.

However, shares were down 6.09 per cent to $20.51.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has declared cash earnings down by 27.4 per cent to $301.7 million in its full-year results.

It has deferred a decision on dividends.

The bank’s shares were down 6.57 per cent to $6.54.

Among major banks, ANZ shed 2.25 per cent to $18.26, the Commonwealth lost 1.39 per cent to $70.76, NAB fell 2.58 per cent to $17.75 and Westpac slumped 2.49 per cent to $17.59.

In the other heavyweight sector, mining, BHP dropped 0.37 per cent to $39.86, Rio Tinto dropped 0.27 per cent to $100.88 and Fortescue declined by 0.17 per cent to $17.95.

US markets finished stagnant on Friday after data showed improvements for US retailers, though less than economists expected.

Investors there continue to wait for more economic stimulus from the government.