Afternoon report 10/08/2026 17:07

The Match Out: ASX closes lower as Westpac wobbles

The ASX eased from near-record highs today as investors turned more selective ahead of a busy week for domestic earnings and monetary policy. Financials were the clear drag after Westpac reported, while strength across materials and gold helped offset some of the weakness.

Morning report 10/08/2026 09:38

Macro Monday: Friday’s weak jobs report set to add strength to the ASX

The US labour market appears to have “rolled over”, with July non-farm payrolls unexpectedly falling by 23,000 and the previous two months revised down by a combined 103,000 jobs. Wage growth also eased to 3.15%, its slowest pace in almost three years, reinforcing the view that inflationary pressures are gradually subsiding. Credit markets responded by scaling back expectations for a September Fed rate hike, with this week's US CPI report now looming as the next key event required to reinforce the less hawkish outlook.

Weekend report 08/08/2026 09:19

Weekend Q&A: Monday is poised to deliver another new high for the ASX

The ASX 200 finished a strong week up +3.2%, posting new highs on three of the five sessions. August is only one full week old, and the local market has already surged towards 9300 with no end in sight as the miners continue to drive the index higher. Monday is set to deliver a repeat performance as a soft US jobs report dulled the prospects of Fed rate hikes, pushing the miners and, in particular, gold names substantially higher after the precious metal surged over US$100.

Afternoon report 07/08/2026 17:42

The Match Out: ASX wraps up a strong week with Tech & Materials leading the line

The ASX 200 finished essentially flat, though it did recover from early weakness, having pulled back and tested this week’s breakout level (~9200), before pushing higher – a positive technical sign. After resetting record highs twice this week, the market moved into more of a holding pattern ahead of next week’s heavier reporting calendar, with strength across materials and technology offset by weakness in the banks and selected healthcare names.

Morning report 07/08/2026 09:59

ETF Friday: Four ETFs to watch as the miners power the ASX to new highs

Afternoon report 06/08/2026 16:29

The Match Out: ASX higher but loses some steam into the afternoon, REA provides a more pragmatic view on housing

The ASX 200 closed at another record high, briefly trading as high as 9,296 before settling up +44 pts. Materials did the heavy lifting as copper reached fresh records in New York and London, while gold extended its strongest rally in six months. Hopes that a temporary shipping arrangement could restore some traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also continued to support sentiment ahead of the main phase of reporting season next week.

Morning report 06/08/2026 11:30

What Matters Today: Four Industrial stocks MM is watching in Reporting Season

The ASX 200 surged another +0.9% on Wednesday, taking the index well above 9200 for the first time; so much for Liberation Day tariffs, sticky inflation, falling house prices, and the US-Iran War. Gains were broad-based, with more than 75% of the main board advancing as the local market finally punched to new highs; it's only taken 110 trading sessions! A rampant resources market offset weakness in the banks, with BHP on its own contributing 40% of the day's 82-point advance. We don’t want to jinx the local index, but after advancing +5.6% from its intra-day low 9-trading days ago, as we said at the end of July: “We wouldn’t be short for quids.”

Afternoon report 05/08/2026 17:35

The Match Out: ASX chalks up new all-time high

Bang! The ASX closed at a fresh record high today at 9,227, with around 75% of the market finishing higher. Some of the more beaten-up areas are also showing signs of life, with software a clear example following better SaaS earnings from the US. Hopes of a lasting peace deal with Iran are also helping sentiment, although we’ll believe that one when we see it.

Morning report 06/08/2026 09:41

Portfolio Positioning: The ASX is poised to post a new all-time high

The ASX 200 delivered a stellar albeit surprising performance for the second consecutive Tuesday; this time it was an exceptional triple-digit gain that took the index to a fresh 5-month high, and within 1% of a new record. Interestingly, the SPI futures volume was average, implying gains were driven more by a lack of selling to meet the increased risk appetite than aggressive buying. The bears should be getting uncomfortable on several fronts, and we thought it worth highlighting the pertinent comment we made in yesterday afternoon. “The Match Out Report”:

Afternoon report 04/08/2026 17:07

The Match Out: ASX surges 1.4%, Credit Corp (CCP) kicks off reporting season

It’s days like this that reinforce the importance of staying invested, participating in markets despite the negative headlines and bearish rhetoric, and, above all, remaining patient. With SPI futures flat this morning, investors took the bull by the horns, buying equities and pushing the ASX to its highest level since March as easing oil prices encouraged a rotation back into growth stocks, banks and healthcare. The rally was broad, with nine of the eleven sectors finishing higher and the local market comfortably outperforming modest gains in US futures.