The ASX had a great session to end the week, its strongest session in three weeks as a sharp rally in commodities – led by gold and copper, and support from the financials – combined with renewed optimism around US monetary easing, booking a third straight weekly gain, the longest run since August. Despite the equity strength, rate expectations remain in flux, with Citi now forecasting Australian rate hikes in February and May.
The ASX was mildly higher by the close, although it gave back most of the early Fed inspired bump to finish ~65pts below the morning peak. Most support came from the miners after the Federal Reserve increased their growth forecast and cut rates, though weakness across tech persisted after Oracle sank ~10% in after-hours trade, with a soft cloud result raising questions about the durability of AI-linked spending - Nasdaq futures slid 1.1% during our time zone.
The ASX drifted through the session with little conviction as investors balanced a hawkish hold RBA against anticipation for tomorrow morning’s US Federal Reserve decision. With Michele Bullock signalling that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future yesterday, the market was unsettled and interest rate sensitive stocks continued to weigh, though a huge effort from gold stocks and broader materials provided much needed support for the index to close only just lower.
The ASX lost ground into the close on Tuesday after RBA governor Michele Bullock signaled that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future, with upside risks to inflation re-emerging. The main board, which had hovered modestly lower for most of the session, accelerated its decline after the post-meeting press conference as a more hawkish tone from the RBA supported the Australian dollar, while tech stocks led the local losses.
The ASX finished lower as investors moved to the sidelines ahead of tomorrow’s RBA policy decision, with sentiment soft despite a modestly positive lead from Wall Street and little in the way of corporate news flow to drive individual names. Lithium names were a bright spot following last week’s sector upgrade however this was offset by gold stocks which retreated as bullion eased over the weekend.
A mildly positive session for the ASX today, and enough to secure a second straight weekly gain as investors continue to recalibrate expectations for interest rates. The RBA steps up to the plate on Tuesday, no change expected, though commentary is important, while the US Federal Reserve is tipped to cut rates on Thursday.
The ASX edged higher on Thursday, with record-breaking copper prices doing the heavy lifting as interest-rate-sensitive sectors sagged under rising bond yields. Bond markets have now priced out any chance of an RBA rate cut this cycle, and traders are assigning a 15% probability of a rate hike as early as February. Strong household spending data for October, the biggest jump in two years added weight to the RBA’s concern that inflation remains too sticky.
A good day to have the Market Matters Christmas lunch, with a very quiet session playing out across the board. The ASX inched higher by the close as softer-than-expected GDP data briefly rekindled hopes the RBA might not need to tighten rates in 2026.
The ASX steadied, clawing back a portion of yesterday’s disrupted session as strength in energy and the big miners helped offset weak sentiment in certain pockets.
The ASX was mildly higher by the close, although it gave back most of the early Fed inspired bump to finish ~65pts below the morning peak. Most support came from the miners after the Federal Reserve increased their growth forecast and cut rates, though weakness across tech persisted after Oracle sank ~10% in after-hours trade, with a soft cloud result raising questions about the durability of AI-linked spending - Nasdaq futures slid 1.1% during our time zone.
The ASX drifted through the session with little conviction as investors balanced a hawkish hold RBA against anticipation for tomorrow morning’s US Federal Reserve decision. With Michele Bullock signalling that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future yesterday, the market was unsettled and interest rate sensitive stocks continued to weigh, though a huge effort from gold stocks and broader materials provided much needed support for the index to close only just lower.
The ASX lost ground into the close on Tuesday after RBA governor Michele Bullock signaled that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future, with upside risks to inflation re-emerging. The main board, which had hovered modestly lower for most of the session, accelerated its decline after the post-meeting press conference as a more hawkish tone from the RBA supported the Australian dollar, while tech stocks led the local losses.
The ASX finished lower as investors moved to the sidelines ahead of tomorrow’s RBA policy decision, with sentiment soft despite a modestly positive lead from Wall Street and little in the way of corporate news flow to drive individual names. Lithium names were a bright spot following last week’s sector upgrade however this was offset by gold stocks which retreated as bullion eased over the weekend.
A mildly positive session for the ASX today, and enough to secure a second straight weekly gain as investors continue to recalibrate expectations for interest rates. The RBA steps up to the plate on Tuesday, no change expected, though commentary is important, while the US Federal Reserve is tipped to cut rates on Thursday.
The ASX edged higher on Thursday, with record-breaking copper prices doing the heavy lifting as interest-rate-sensitive sectors sagged under rising bond yields. Bond markets have now priced out any chance of an RBA rate cut this cycle, and traders are assigning a 15% probability of a rate hike as early as February. Strong household spending data for October, the biggest jump in two years added weight to the RBA’s concern that inflation remains too sticky.
A good day to have the Market Matters Christmas lunch, with a very quiet session playing out across the board. The ASX inched higher by the close as softer-than-expected GDP data briefly rekindled hopes the RBA might not need to tighten rates in 2026.
The ASX steadied, clawing back a portion of yesterday’s disrupted session as strength in energy and the big miners helped offset weak sentiment in certain pockets.
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