MA Financial (MAF)

01/04/2026

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Weekend report 02/05/2026

Weekend Q&A: ASX starts May on the front foot

The ASX200 ended its 8-day losing streak on Friday with a solid +0.7% advance, although it promised more early on before the “Big Four Banks” reversed lower. It felt worse, but come the closing bell on Friday, the index was only down 0.6% for the week, although compared to the strong gains in the US, it was a clear disappointment. It was the big end of town that reined in the market last week, with the banks and heavyweight miners retreating. Next Wednesday, we see the RBA step up on interest rates, with credit markets pricing in a ~74% probability of a 0.25% hike, while on the following Tuesday, we will receive the Federal Budget- there’s no rest for the wicked in May!

Afternoon report 01/05/2026

The Match Out: ASX bounces back as miners lead and supermarkets recover

The ASX finally found some buyers today, snapping its eight-day losing streak as risk appetite improved following record highs on Wall Street and a modest pullback in oil from Thursday’s spike. Materials did the heavy lifting, helped by gains in iron ore, while gold names also bounced after recent weakness.