Wall Street Europe and Australian Share Market

Australian markets: Australian markets were closed on Tuesday for the Australia Day public holiday, according to Nine News Australia. And the Australian share market looks set to open higher following positive leads from Wall Street and Europe, which gained despite an earlier six per cent plunge in China stocks. At 0630 AEDT on Wednesday, the local unit was trading at 70.13 US cents, down slightly from 70.17 cents on Monday. At 0645 AEDT on Wednesday, the share price futures index was up 38 points at 4,941. WASHINGTON - US home prices increased at a faster clip in November, the gains fuelled by solid hiring growth, historically low mortgage rates and a shortage of houses on the market. NEW YORK - US consumer confidence improved in January despite a stock market rout, and house prices accelerated in November, suggesting underlying strength in the economy despite a sharp growth slowdown in recent months. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.