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The ASX200 again drifted lower after a strong open to finish Wednesday’s session up just +0.1% – closing above the psychological 9000 level is proving tough after the recent strong run. The banks were again the main drag on the index, with the “Big Four Banks” all closing down on the day, with Westpac’s -1.9% fall the standout following their Tuesday update. On the sector level, the tech names outperformed for a change, gaining +2.4% while the energy names took the wooden spoon, slipping -1.9%.
The ASX looked set for a strong day early, but only finished marginally higher. We probably sound like a broken record at times – the ASX will struggle to push meaningfully higher without the banks leading, but today was the perfect example. The index briefly pushed above the 9,000 level intraday, though selling in financials capped the advance.
The ASX200 limped to a 45-point gain on Tuesday, after opening with a bang it surrendered more than 50% of its early gains as the banks came under pressure, courtesy of Westpac (ASX:WBC). From a points perspective it was very much a market of two halves with the two heavyweight market sectors pulling in opposing directions:
Today’s session kicked off with a strong open with the index pushing through the 9,000 level for the first time since early March before giving back some ground through the day, ultimately consolidating through the afternoon into the close.
We felt the ASX200 delivered a solid performance on Monday given the weekend’s disappointing developments out of Pakistan around the US-Iran war, and the headwind of weakening global futures throughout our session.
The ASX finished lower today though the move was somewhat contained considering the escalation in rhetoric around the Middle East conflict. The local market entered the session digesting the breakdown of peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan over the weekend, with President Donald Trump announcing plans for a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a +7% spike in oil prices.
Global equities posted a solid rally last week, driven by hopes that the US-Iran ceasefire would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz — removing a key inflation risk and clearing the path for global growth to regain momentum before any lasting economic damage was done.
The local market softened today, though not by much, with the ASX200 index still capping off a strong week, rising +3.3% over the period as markets continued to rebound following the US-Iran ceasefire. Risk appetite cooled with investors trimming positions ahead of talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan over the weekend, while uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of tanker traffic continues to cloud the near-term outlook for energy markets.
