Indices: Australian ASX 200

A tepid start to the trading week locally with a small 0.10% gain at the index level courtesy of strength amongst the financial stocks which have enjoyed the onset of higher interest rates,  the hope that margin pressure will ease along with some large looming dividends is a hard 1-2 combo to pass up. All the talk this year has been about how hot the Energy & Materials stocks have been and rightly…

Last week saw the ASX200 consolidate its recent rally just below all-time highs despite the growing chorus for the RBA to act sooner rather than later and commence the inevitable interest rate tightening cycle, joining the US & Canada who raised by 0.25% in March and New Zealand who have now pushed through three rate increases taking the official cash rate to 1%. When the RBA cut…