2013.04.1101:55:57UTC+00Australian stocks index boosts 5,000 as banks skyrockets

Australian stocks is off to a good start in early Thursday action ahead of unemployment data due later in the day, with monetary shares broadly stronger after overnight wins on U.S. bourses. The S&P/ASX 200 boosted 0.7% to trade at 5,000.60 in early moves, recapturing the 5,000 level for the first time in over a week, according to FactSet data. Among the banks, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group pushed 1%, Macquarie Group Ltd. soared 1.5%, and Westpac Banking Corp. increased 1.4%. Insurers also progress, with AMP Ltd. and Suncorp Group Ltd. each 1.6% higher, and Insurance Australia Group Ltd. traded 1.3% better. Miners were mixed, with index heavyweight BHP Billiton Ltd. trading 0.5% lesser, and Newcrest Mining Ltd. backsliding 1% after gold futures dropped overnight, but with Alumina Ltd. boosting 1.5%. The moves came as the market awaited the release of March unemployment numbers, due at 9:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern time Wednesday.