The All Ords finished 29 points higher, that's about 0.5%, and the ASX 200 added the same amount. Qantas shares finished the session more than 3.5% higher after today's annual general meeting. And the major miners reversed their earlier losses to close higher, but Fortescue Metals still closed 1.7% lower. 

 

Checking elsewhere in the region: 

 

Japan's Nikkei is higher up 157 points, but the Hang Seng is losing ground. 

 

And taking a quick check of the Australian dollar, it's currently buying 87.7 US cents.

 

Qantas says the worst is behind it and it's back making money. Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce told shareholders at the Annual General Meeting that the beleaguered airline returned to profitability in the September quarter. He said the Qantas Group is on track to deliver an underlined profit for the first half of the financial year. It's a big turn-around from its record loss last financial year.

 

And Gloria Jean's Coffee Chain has been bought out by an Australian food group. The retail food group which already owns several well-known take-away brands, including Donut King, Michel's Patisserie and Brumby's Bakery, paid 164 million dollars for the business. The company's executive chairman will stay on for at least two years to manage the transition.