Afternoon report 22/10/2026 16:51

The Match Out: ASX slips on oil and inflation risks as Tech finds its footing

Local shares finished lower as higher oil prices and renewed rate-hike fears weighed on sentiment, with weakness across energy, materials, and consumer stocks. Despite a rebound in parts of the technology sector, concerns over data-centre funding and execution risks persisted, while a sharp retail profit warning underscored the pressure higher living costs and borrowing rates are placing on consumers.

Morning report 22/10/2026 09:23

What Matters Today: The digital marketplace stocks are fighting back

The ASX 200 experienced a choppy Wednesday before rallying into the close, finishing the day up +0.2% - not a bad performance, with BHP Group (-1.6%) and NEXTDC (-42%) combining to take almost 26 points off the index. Fortunately, the banks provided a rare bright spot, with Morgan Stanley estimating that NAB’s planned cull of 2,500 roles could deliver annual cost savings of $400–500 million.

Afternoon report 21/10/2026 17:06

The Match Out: ASX finishes higher, NextDC crashes ~40%

The ASX managed to finish slightly higher today after a topsy turvy session. Early gains were pared back after RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser warned inflation was materially worse than forecast in August, pulling the index briefly back below the 8,800, level however a push through the afternoon led by the heavyweight Financials was enough to eke out a gain.

Morning report 21/10/2026 09:45

Portfolio Positioning: Is the AI investment boom hitting a speed hump?

The ASX staged a valiant recovery on Tuesday, clawing back much of its early losses to finish down just 0.3%, despite fewer than 40% of the main board managing to post gains. A soft quarterly update from BHP, and a subsequent -1.6% drop by the Big Australian, contributed 55% of the index's decline on its own, with the more defensive consumer staples and healthcare names stemming the losses.

Afternoon report 20/10/2026 16:37

The Match Out: ASX lower, BHP dishes up softer quarter in Copper

The ASX 200 traded lower on Tuesday, with the heavyweight miners and banks doing most of the damage, although the market recovered a fair chunk of its early losses as technology and consumer staples found buyers. The important point was the rotation beneath the surface: resources remained under pressure, but some of the more heavily sold growth names continued to attract bargain hunters.

Morning report 20/10/2026 09:42

What Matters Today: Can China’s improved growth turn the dial?

The ASX 200 ground out a +0.4% gain to start the week, but it wasn’t all plain sailing, with over 50% of the main board closing on the wrong side of the ledger. A +1% average gain by the “Big Four Banks” contributed most to the day's advance, while the miners had a mixed session, with BHP Group (BHP) gaining +0.7% helped by the pick-up in China's growth, which we will look at today, while South32 (S32) -2.6% and PLS Group (PLS) -2.7% were drags on the index. However, Monday was all about takeover fever, a subject MM has written about a few times in 2026.

Afternoon report 19/10/2026 16:56

The Match Out: Takeover fever lifts ASX as Cleanaway (CWY) and Challenger (CGF) surge

A strong day for the ASX, closing higher in a session where deal-making stole the show helping the broader market shrug off another bout of global technology jitters. Energy and financials supported the market, but technology stocks remained under pressure amid concerns over debt-funded AI investment while stronger-than-expected Chinese GDP growth offered some positive signs for the resources outlook, despite property investment continuing to slump.

Morning report 19/10/2026 09:47

Macro Monday: Bad news might just be good for the ASX

Thursday's employment data shocked the market and media alike, with employment falling by 39,300 compared to the 20,000 increase economists were expecting. Bad news for the government ahead of next month's Victorian State election, but a welcome reprieve for the RBA, with markets now pricing in only a ~40% chance of another 25bps rate hike before Christmas, although inflation could ultimately force their hand if oil prices keep rising. In 10 days, we get the September CPI (inflation data), which will go a long way in determining the next move on rates.

Weekend report 17/10/2026 09:08

The Weekend Q&A: A rare week of local outperformance

The ASX 200 finished a volatile week up +1.0%, although the headline gain masked some fairly aggressive rotation beneath the surface. Utilities (+4.5%), Healthcare (+3.9%), Consumer Staples (+3.4%) and Financials (+3.2%) led the market higher, while Materials (-2.3%), Real Estate (-1.7%) and Information Technology (-1.3%) lagged. Investors continued to rotate into some of the more beaten-up and defensive areas of the market, while resources came under pressure.

Afternoon report 16/10/2026 17:00

The Match Out: ASX jumps as beaten-up tech and miners lead recovery

The local market staged a broad recovery today as technology and materials stocks bounced back from heavy losses, supported by easing concerns around the global AI thematic, triggering renewed buying across oversold sectors though weakness in banks and consumer staples limited the advance.