Westpac Banking Corp vs the Financials Sector

04/11/2025

Westpac Banking Corp vs the Financials Sector

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Afternoon report 26/08/2026

The Match Out: Hot CPI knocks the ASX off its highs

The ASX 200 looked set for a third straight gain early on, trading as much as 0.6% higher to ~9220, before July inflation completely changed the tone of the session. The index reversed sharply after the release and ultimately finished lower with the market quickly pricing a greater chance that the RBA will need to go again on rates. Financials swung from an early gain into the red as higher rate expectations weighed on the market. Consumer Staples were the standout, holding onto a gain after a solid result from Woolies, while Materials remained one of the few reliable areas of strength early before giving back gains in the afternoon.

Morning report 26/08/2026

Portfolio Positioning: Copper stocks set for another big session

The ASX 200 enjoyed a more broad-based advance on Tuesday, with 70% of the main board closing higher, pushing the index up +0.7%. The banks finally gave the index a helping hand, but they still couldn’t figure in the top 3 stocks contributing to the market's 62-point advance; the podium was headed by BHP, again (+9 points), followed by CSL (+7-points), and Suncorp (+5-points). Elsewhere, we saw some profit-taking creep into the high-flying gold sector while the tech stocks more than picked up the slack, taking their cue from a reversal higher by the semiconductor-driven Korean KOSPI Index.