Afternoon report 30/09/2026 17:01

The Match Out: ASX surges as cooler CPI data lifts REITs and Discretionary stocks

September finished with a much-needed relief rally as softer inflation data this morning and RBA Governor Michele Bullock’s less than hawkish commentary yesterday afternoon triggered a sharp rebound in beaten-up Real Estate, Discretionary and other rate-sensitive stocks.

Morning report 30/09/2026 09:49

Portfolio Positioning: The RBA delivers an ‘almost Dovish’ rate hike

The ASX 200 rebounded 0.3% following yesterday’s 0.25% RBA rate hike, helped by Governor Michele Bullock’s comments proving less hawkish than many had feared. The cash rate is now at a 15-year high of 4.60%, but we found the market's reaction encouraging: the A$ fell to a two-month low and credit markets pared back expectations for further tightening, with only around a 60% chance of one more hike before Christmas now priced in.

Afternoon report 29/09/2026 17:32

The Match Out: RBA Hikes to 4.60% – But Bullock’s commentary sparks late rally

The ASX ended up notching a decent gain today after a choppy session leading up to the 2:30pm RBA decision. At the sector level, a strong rebound in Technology and Materials helped offset weakness across Energy, Real Estate and Financials ahead of the decision.

Morning report 29/09/2026 09:36

What Matters Today: Gold Fields Targets Northern Star – 3 other ASX gold stocks with M&A potential

The ASX 200 found support from some of 2026’s most unloved sectors on Monday, with some book-squaring seemingly at play ahead of today’s widely expected 0.25% RBA rate hike, priced at a 93% probability by Monday’s close. However, as has been the case of late, the session was more about switching than outright buying or selling, leaving the index just +0.2% higher as Financials added 33 points, almost entirely offset by a 31-point drag from Materials.

Afternoon report 28/09/2026 16:54

The Match Out: ASX firms ahead of RBA decision, Northern Star (NST) rejects Gold Fields bid

The local index bounced strongly this morning, recovering from a three-month low on Friday, poking its head above the 8700 level before giving most of it back through the afternoon. The modest gain was driven by banks and defensives rather than a broad-based recovery and while Financials, Healthcare and Utilities looked solid, higher oil prices and bond yields kept Technology and Materials under pressure ahead of tomorrow's RBA decision.

Morning report 28/09/2026 09:46

Macro Monday: The RBA are set to hike on Tuesday, then what?

The Fed and RBA have taken different paths in the last few years, but both have ultimately started tightening again. The Fed began 2024 with rates at 5.25%-5.5%, cut aggressively by a total of 175bps to 3.5%-3.75% by December 2025, then paused as inflation pressures returned before hiking 25bps to 3.75%-4.0% earlier this month. In contrast, the RBA waited until February 2025 to start cutting and delivered just 75bps of easing, taking the cash rate from 4.35% to a low of 3.60% by August 2025. It's been hard work of late for local investors with higher interest rates and lower earnings growth:

Weekend report 26/09/2026 08:37

Weekend Q&A: The ASX underperforms its global peers

Afternoon report 25/09/2026 17:05

The Match Out: ASX lower as Tech extends slide, Netwealth (NWL) hit with class action

e ASX 200 closed lower today, trading in a fairly tight range through the day, as technology stocks extended their recent slide for a fourth consecutive session and consumer discretionary came under further pressure, falling to a near four-month low. On the positive side, Consumer Staples firmed and Financials held up reasonably well, the two sectors doing the defensive work in what has been a difficult week shaped by rising rate expectations.

Morning report 25/09/2026 09:16

ETF Friday: Evaluating 3 leveraged ETFs for a potential Christmas rally by the ASX 200

Early weakness saw the ASX 200 make fresh 3-month lows on Thursday following a soft session on Wall Street. The banks and miners finally danced to the same tune, but unfortunately it was a bearish one, which caused ~90% of the day's decline, led by BHP Group (-1.7%), Westpac (-1.8%), and Commonwealth Bank (-0.7%).

Afternoon report 24/09/2026 17:10

The Match Out: ASX falls as September hike bets firm at 93%, Soul Patts hits record high

The ASX endured another difficult session today, and while the index encouragingly bounced ~60pts from the lows of the session after softer employment data partially pared back rate hike bets, a move higher in the cash rate remains almost fully priced in for next week’s RBA meeting.