Markets collectively rallied overnight, with the international leaderboard awash with green ink.

In Europe the FTSE added (+1.5%), whilst the CAC (+1.8%) and DAX (+2.7%) enjoyed even stronger gains.

In the US the Dow added 144 points (+1.3%) to settle at 11321, whilst the broader S&P 500 also added 1.3% and the Nasdaq jumped 0.9%.

It was a third consecutive session of gains for US stocks, with a stronger-than-expected durable good number encouraging investors back into the market after early weakness.

The Canadian dollar was amongst the strongest currencies overnight, gaining against all of its most-traded counterparts.

Elsewhere, the yen declined 0.4% against the greenback and 0.3% against the euro, as Japan took steps to help companies cope with the currency's strength.

Gold fell the most since 2008, slumping 5.6% to US$1757 an ounce amid speculation financial markets are stabilizing.

In company news this morning, AGK has reported a 57% rise in annual net profit to $558.7 million boosted by a gain in the value of derivatives.

There is no major local data due out for today's session.

Click to Receive FREE Trading Recommendations for the next 7 Days!