As it happened: Banks bounce back to help ASX edge higher

Summary

• The ASX 200 shifted between narrow losses and gains on Wednesday, finishing just 0.1% ahead at 6686.6. The banks improved as the session wore on while Telstra gained 2.7%.
• Fashion retailer Premier Investments leads gains after jumping nearly 19% to a new record $26.70. The firm released a bumper first-half sales update and finished 12.7% ahead at $25.35
• US markets recovered from a mid-session slide overnight to finish slightly higher. US futures were up at 4pm AEDT, pointing to a positive start for Wall Street tonight
• The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology says the federal government should immediately pause the planned rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine because it may not be effective enough to generate herd immunity