Miners propelled Australian shares to an all-time high on Friday, driven by BHP Group’s record quarterly copper production and higher iron ore prices, while upbeat U.S. retail sales data for June further fuelled investor optimism. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.6% to scale a record peak of 8,693.5 points by 0020 GMT. The benchmark is set for a weekly rise. Investor sentiment was buoyed by data showing U.S. retail sales beat expectations in June, signalling steady economic growth and sending U.S. shares higher. The print further boosted sentiment after a surprisingly soft local jobs data on Thursday strengthened ... (full story)