US stocks have surged for the second day in a row following Wednesday's Federal Reserve meeting as investors brushed aside concerns over another drop in oil prices.
National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney launched a defence of coal-fired power as the lender, and rival ANZ, rejected calls to stop funding mining projects.
The Australian sharemarket is one per cent higher after an upbeat assessment of the American economy by the US central bank and a bounce in oil prices.
The Dow has jumped nearly 300 points after the US Federal Reserve made no changes to its monetary policy, saying it can remain "patient" before moving to raise interest rates.
The share market has hit its lowest level in more than 10 months as falling commodity prices contributed to a sixth consecutive straight day of losses.
Banks should be forced to hold more capital in order for them to impress their offshore creditors, the head of the government's financial system inquiry says.
The share market has fallen for a fourth straight day after Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens scotched expectations of interest rate cuts early in 2015.