The Match Out: ASX gains while US & China play chicken on trade policy

The ASX charged upward once again today, with 5 out of the last 7 sessions ending higher as investors continue to bank on rhetoric out of the Whitehouse that a deal getting done between the US and China is only a matter of time.

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Afternoon report 10/02/2026 16:58

The Match Out: Insurance stocks become latest AI casualty as ASX edges lower

A mixed session for the ASX played out under the hood today with tech the clear standout and miners remaining firm after a strong start to the week as the bourse closed on the low of the day and almost +60pts from its high. Insurance stocks were hit as fresh fears emerged around AI disruption in the insurance-broking industry, with banks following suit into the afternoon.

Morning report 10/02/2026 09:36

What Matters Today: President Trump may be about to create a tailwind for US housing

Monday saw the currently fickle ASX 200 surge +1.9%, its best trading day since April, just one session after it plunged 2%. Yesterday’s gains were broad-based with all 11 sectors advancing along with 90% of the stocks, while the tech, real estate and materials sectors all gained by 3% or more.

Afternoon report 09/02/2026 16:59

The Match Out: Tech & Miners lead ASX bounce in best session since April ‘25

The ASX staged a sharp relief rally today, with the main board chalking up its strongest single day move since April 25. The move followed last week’s aggressive sell-off and was driven by dip-buying across technology and resource stocks, with all 11 sectors higher.

Morning report 09/02/2026 09:31

Macro Monday: Astronomical AI spending reverberates through global equities

What a week. Markets ran for cover as fears mounted that artificial intelligence (AI) could render many software business models redundant, or at least sharply devalue them. The issue was compounded by the fact that many of these software names were trading on lofty valuations in the anticipation of unrelenting growth. The potential risk of contraction compared to expansion has seen numerous household names halve in value over the last 6 months, from Xero and WiseTech on the ASX to Atlassian and Adobe in the US.

Weekend report 07/02/2026 10:06

Weekend Q&A: Volatility surges & reporting season is only getting started

The ASX 200 ended a volatile week down -1.8%, but it felt far worse on Friday when the index tumbled more than 2% - at least it should recover half of those losses on Monday morning. We received a rate hike last week, but it hardly registered with investors, focusing on three major themes: • The disruption by AI across the software sector, with negative sentiment spreading to tech in general. • Profit-taking in the commodity markets with silver plunging over 16% in just a matter of hours. • Risk off in general with Bitcoin plunging to its lowest level since late 2024.

Afternoon report 06/02/2026 17:25

The Match Out: Market hit ~2% – How MM is thinking about Tech as we end a tough week!

The ASX was hit hard today, with its sharpest fall in nearly three months after heavy losses in US tech overnight, a fresh leg down in commodities and a violent unwind in crypto combined crushed global risk appetite.

Alerts 06/02/2026 09:54

Trade Alerts – Active Growth Portfolio

We are amending the growth portfolio.

Morning report 06/02/2026 09:48

ETF Friday: Looking at the market’s volatility through the eye of an ETF lens

The ASX 200 had a fairly quiet day at the index level, while at the stock/sector level, it was like Guy Fawkes night, with fireworks flying in every direction. Thursday's session saw further aggressive selling across the high-flying resources, while some recently out-of-favour stocks came back into favour as selective bargain hunting played out across the ASX. Perhaps some switching/rotation is taking hold as commodity prices look to cool.

Alerts 05/02/2026 21:08

Trade Alerts – International Equities Portfolio

We are making several changes to the International Equities Portfolio

Afternoon report 05/02/2026 17:21

The Match Out: Volatile Commodities drag Materials stocks & ASX lower

The ASX snapped a two-day winning streak today, with a sharp pullback in commodities weighing heavily on miners and overwhelming broader strength across defensives and financials. Losses were concentrated in materials while money rotated into healthcare, insurers and the major banks, while tech trod water after yesterday's savage sell-off.