Ask James : The Fed keeps slapping any attempt by stocks to bounce

The ASX200 tumbled into the close on Friday ending September on the same note as most of the last 6-weeks, the greater than 500-point monthly decline has been primarily instigated by rhetoric from the Fed who turned very hawkish at the end of August following the Jackson Hole economic symposium, and ongoing comments from the board have maintained the pressure on risk assets ever since. Investors started last month focusing on rising interest rates before later worries also started to encompass fears around a recession into 2023, and specifically how deep/long will it be.

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Afternoon report 07/08/2025 17:40

The Match Out: ASX stalls as investors await Reporting Season

The ASX 200 plateaued today, failing to push to new highs despite a solid session overnight in the US, though there was no clear push in either direction after recent strength.

Morning report 07/08/2025 09:23

What Matters Today: Three companies MM believe may be takeover targets into 2026

The ASX200 surged another +0.8% on Wednesday, closing at a fresh all-time high, and well above the psychological 8800 for the first time. Over 75% of the main board closed higher, but the main drivers of the more than 70-point advance were the heavyweight financials and materials sectors, which combined made up almost 60% of the indexes gain.

Afternoon report 06/08/2025 17:24

The Match Out: News highs for the ASX, with 9000 now in sight!

A second day of strength for the ASX, breaking out to new highs as ‘risk on’ flows across the market. Futures were well supported overnight, even as the US market pulled back, implying a degree of overseas buying is hitting our bourse led by a reemergence of interest in the resources and energy sectors.

Morning report 06/08/2025 09:38

Portfolio Positioning: The bulls remain in charge as earnings support global equities

The ASX200 surged towards new highs on Tuesday, ending the session up +1.2%, only 6 points below its all-time high. Gains were broad-based, with over 90% of the main board advancing, led by the rate-sensitive consumer discretionary, real estate and financial stocks.

Afternoon report 05/08/2025 17:37

The Match Out: The bulls take back control – ASX up +100pts

181 stocks in the ASX 200 made gains today, all sectors were higher, intra-day dips were bought, and the market made a new all-time closing high up tripped digits – a bullish day all around as we move into local reporting season. US earnings have strong; we made the point this morning that S&P 500 companies are on track to post a +9.1% lift in profits, far above analysts’ projection of 2.8% before results began, with earnings, and importantly, positive earnings revisions ultimately driving stock prices. Now it’s our turn!

Morning report 05/08/2025 10:51

What Matters Today: Three defensives MM likes when it’s time to de-risk portfolios

The ASX200 recovered from early losses on Monday to end the session in positive territory, an impressive performance considering the Dow's more than 500-point drop on Friday night.

Afternoon report 04/08/2025 17:17

The Match Out: ASX shrugs off U.S market rout, closes flat.

The ASX opened on the backfoot this morning, however that was the worst of it, with strength amongst the miners and supermarkets offsetting weakness elsewhere. US Futures edged higher, and Asia was also well supported during our time zone, moving past the weakness we saw in US economic data on Friday.

Alerts 04/08/2025 09:53

Trade Alerts – Active Growth & Income Portfolio’s

MM is making two changes across two portfolios

Morning report 04/08/2025 09:20

Macro Monday: The Goldilocks Trade tailwind is being questioned

Since Trump unleashed chaos on global equities in April with his tariff bombshell, their recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. In just three months, the ASX200 and US S&P 500 have surged by +22% and +33% respectively. At MM, we’ve held a bullish stance through the recovery, but our confidence is now waning. The cornerstone of the stunning recovery has often been referred to as the “Goldilocks Scenario”.

Weekend report 02/08/2025 09:33

Weekend Q&A: A weak US Jobs Report weighs on stocks ahead of reporting season

The ASX200 slipped 0.1% last week after a tough Friday session, but it still ended up 2.3% for July. Earnings season is upon us, and it's already started to exert its force on the market - It's not often you see an ASX200 stock halve in the blink of an eye! We have begun the seasonally weak August-September period for the ASX, and on cue, the index has started to feel a touch soft, although 2-days doesn't make a summer.