The Australian share market has been boosted by travel and energy stocks after a day of good news about COVID-19 vaccines and mixed company financial results.

The benchmark ASX 200 closed 0.2 per cent higher at 7,503, and the broader All Ordinaries rose 0.1 per cent to 7,773,

Travel stocks did well on the news NSW had administered 6 million COVID-19 jabs and Victorian 16-39-year-olds would have access to Pfizer from Wednesday. 

Flight Centre Group rose 6.6 per cent, Webjet lifted 6.5 per cent and Qantas jumped 5.5 per cent.

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Nanosonics stocks soared 20.5 per cent after the infection-prevention technology company reported a revenue rise of 3 per cent to $100.3million. Net profit was down 15.4 per cent.

Uniti Group (+8.4pc) and Hub 24 (+8pc) rounded out the top three companies on the ASX 200.

Whitehaven Coal's stocks advanced 4.41 per cent, before finishing the day 1.7 per cent down, while Beach Energy closed 3.3​ per cent ahead.

Papua New Guinea-focused Oil Search closed 2.9 per cent higher after the company reported a nearly sixfold rise in its half-year core profit as easing pandemic restrictions boosted oil demand and prices.

Mixed year ahead for company earnings 

Kogan was down 14 per cent, despite the retailer's annual sales surpassing $1billion for the first time.

That was probably because the online retailer suspended its final dividend for the year after its net profit fell 87 per cent to just $3.5 million.  

Construction company Monadelphous was down 14.8 per cent, while Ansell and Boral dropped 9.1 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively. 

Ansell's full net year profit jumped 58 per cent to $US246.7million.

The personal protection equipment maker's sales rose 25.6 per cent to $US2.03billion, with a final dividend of 43.6 US cents a share.

Ansell's sales have been boosted by the demand for personal protective equipment like single-use gloves during the pandemic.

However, the company noted supply chain disruptions in Asia due to COVID-19 could cause issues this financial year.

It also expects increased shipping costs and shipping delays to persist.

Boral reported a net profit of $640 million after a $1.145 billion loss a year ago.

Total revenue for the construction products maker dropped 6.7 per cent to $5.35 billion. No final dividend will be paid.

Boral's CEO and managing director Zlatko Todorcevski said he expected market conditions for the current financial year to be mixed.

"Infrastructure activity, particularly road construction, is expected to improve slightly in the second half of FY2022 and moving into FY2023," he said.

"Non-residential activity is expected to be broadly steady. Growth in detached housing has been supported by government stimulus measures, and we expect to see continued benefits."

But he said indicators suggested demand could soften.

"Multi-residential activity is expected to remain weak, with a lift in activity not expected until immigration returns."

NAB sticks with 2024 interest rate call

NAB is sticking with its forecast that the first rate hike will occur in early 2024.

The bank's team of economists said the lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne remained a risk to the outlook, but it remained confident activity would rebound strongly once restrictions were eased.

"We see the first move as lifting the cash rate target by 40 basis points to 0.50 per cent; this is to allow normalisation of the ES rate corridor and would see the actual cash rate trade close to 25 basis points," NAB's economics team said in a monetary policy update.

"Following this, we see increases of around 25 points per quarter."

Vaccine stocks boost Wall Street

In New York, the Nasdaq finished on a record closing high, up 1.5 per cent to 14,942.65.

The Dow Jones gained 0.6 per cent to 35,335, while the benchmark S&P 500 added 0.8 per cent to end the day at 4,479.

Nasdaq's strong performance followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.

It's a move that is likely to speed up inoculations in the US.

"I don't think this will get all the doubters vaccinated but this news today will probably drive [the vaccinated rate] closer to 75 per cent."

Pfizer and US-listed shares of BioNTech advanced 2.5 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Rival Moderna Inc gained 7.5 per cent, while Trilium Therapeutics jumped 188 per cent after it was announced it would be acquired by Pfizer. 

Travel stocks also rose on the vaccine approval news.

Delta was up 2 per cent, American Airlines lifted 3 per cent higher, while Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines climbed 4 per cent.

Oil prices soar

Brent crude was up 5.1 per cent and worth $US68.57 per barrel, while West Texas crude was up 5 .3 per cent higher to $US65.26 per barrel.

Spot gold was was up 1.3 per cent and selling for $US1,8067.

Iron ore fell 2.7 per cent to $US136.71 a tonne.

On European markets, the STOXX 600 index gained (+0.6pc), along with Germany's DAX (+0.2pc) and Britain's FTSE (+0.3pc).

Bitcoin goes above $US50k

Bitcoin's price surged past $US50,000 on Monday for the first time since May, but the rebound from a months-long slump later ran out of steam.

Bitcoin has climbed 82 per cent since hitting a yearly low of $US27,700 in January.

ABC/Reuters