Ask James: Are stocks building the courage to test all-time highs?

Firstly, I hope you all had a great Easter break, a beautiful 4 days in Sydney where the sun was certainly appreciated. The ASX 200 added +0.61% for the shortened week with Gold & Travel-related stocks populating the leader board. We’re now 19 days into the market’s 2nd strongest month of the year with a gain of just 0.32% to speak of. The ‘old world’ is smashing the new with Utilities up 5.44% while the Information Technology sector languishes, down another 4.01% for the period. Bond yields the major influence on respective sector performance however as US quarterly reporting season heats up it’s important to remember MM’s preferred path for the coming period.

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Afternoon report 28/04/2026 16:59

The Match Out: ASX falls, braces for tomorrow’s CPI print

The ASX had another tough session today with selling fairly broad-based, leaving the market testing its 200-day moving average as investors remain cautious around the macro backdrop.

Morning report 28/04/2026 09:17

Macro Monday, on Tuesday: S&P 500 and Nasdaq Reach Record Highs despite Iran

The heavyweight US indices powered to fresh all-time highs on Friday night. However, the weekend delivered another twist to the Iran saga with US President Trump abruptly cancelling the planned envoy trip to Pakistan for peace talks, citing unnecessary costs and a disappointing offer from Tehran.

Weekend report 25/04/2026 10:01

Weekend Q&A: US stocks power to record highs while ASX experiences a tough week

The ASX200 ended the penultimate week of April, surrendering -1.8% of the month's gain, with a string of profit downgrades combining with the country’s high vulnerability to the global fuel crisis caused by the Iran war - the oil price continues to grind higher with no clear resolution in sight for the conflict. A wave of profit downgrades swept the ASX, led this week by Cochlear’s earnings shock, which sent its shares plunging 40%. Other companies warning that surging energy costs will weigh on earnings included Qantas, Worley, a2 Milk, Orora, Cleanaway and Qube. The ASX is also struggling because its two heavyweight sectors have come off the boil, the banks and resources.

Afternoon report 24/04/2026 16:48

The Match Out: ASX claws back early losses, SUN impresses on FY27 outlook

A choppy session that mirrored yesterday’s move to end the week as higher oil prices kept a lid on the local market for most of the day until a decent ~50pt rally from the lows saw the index finish almost flat into the close. The selling in financials eased, providing some stability, while materials weighed as gold stocks took a hit.

Morning report 24/04/2026 09:54

ETF Friday: International Income ETFS are becoming a shining light

Afternoon report 23/04/2026 17:24

The Match Out: ASX slides for a third straight day

The ASX remained under pressure today, as the index notched its third consecutive day of losses, weighed down by renewed fears around the Iran conflict after reports of Iranian gunboats firing on commercial vessels and seizing ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Morning report 23/04/2026 09:27

What Matters Today: CSL, Cochlear and the death of the healthcare premium – Is Australia’s most trusted sector broken?

The ASX200 fell sharply on Wednesday, dragged lower by healthcare and banking stocks, while miners offered little support to offset the weakness. The bears dominated the company news, with Cochlear (ASX:COH) -41%, Generation Development (ASX:GDG) -23%, and Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) -9.1% pushing a bounce by Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) +17% into the shade. The ongoing weakness in the banking sector, combined with heavy selling in healthcare stocks, accounted for more than 95% of the day's decline, underscoring the market's concentration of weakness. Similarly, the trifecta of Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA), Cochlear (ASX:COH) and CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL) made up 50% of the day's decline on their own.

Afternoon report 22/04/2026 17:41

The Match Out: ASX down, Cochlear whacked 40% on big downgrade

The ASX endured a tough session with heavy selling in Financials and Healthcare on a read-through from Bank of Queensland’s shrinking net interest margins and a brutal downgrade from Cochlear. The weakness came despite relatively stable overseas leads after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire extension – pushing US Futures higher during our time zone. However, with no deadline in play, the question becomes how long negotiations will be drawn out for, with higher oil prices incrementally adding to inflationary pressures each day that passes.

Alerts 22/04/2026 10:23

Trade Alert – Emerging Companies Portfolio

We are making a change to the Emerging Companies Portfolio.

Morning report 22/04/2026 09:39

Portfolio Positioning: Is the next chapter about to unfold for the banks?

The ASX200 finished a choppy session little changed on Tuesday, for a third straight session, amid a looming US-Iran ceasefire deadline and continued tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Overall, it was a quiet session on both the stock and sector front with only the consumer staples (+0.76%) and energy sector (-0.9%) moving by more than 0.5%, with the index remaining range-bound between 8890 and 9020 for the 10th consecutive session.