Macro Monday: Recession fears regain the upper hand

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Morning report 26/10/2026 09:49

Macro Monday: Should we be reweighting our portfolios in earnest?

Relative sector performance is very often cyclical, depending on different factors such as bond yields and global economic growth. It may not feel like it, but the ASX 200 Financials and Materials sectors have delivered comparable gains since COVID, rising ~60% and ~50%, respectively, but they’ve followed very different paths.

Weekend report 24/10/2026 09:33

Weekend Q&A: We need a weekend after the last few days!

The ASX 200 finished a volatile week, especially at the stock and sector level, with an 8% drop in the materials sector dragging down the broader market by just 0.1% despite almost 60% of the main boards closing higher. However, when we see heavyweight miners South32 (-11%), Sandfire (-10%), BHP Group (-8%), and RIO Tinto (-6%), it was always going to be tough for the index to advance.

Afternoon report 23/10/2026 17:06

The Match Out: Banks and retailers keep ASX afloat as miners slide

The ASX spent most of the session trading lower off the back of a weaker session playing out in the US, particularly Tech overnight. Banks and consumer-facing stocks provided a lift, but the modest gain masked a sharp divide across the market.

Alerts 23/10/2026 09:55

Trade Alert – Active Growth Portfolio

We are adding a new position to the Growth Portfolio

Morning report 23/10/2026 09:29

Fund Friday: Three portfolio themes that could have turned

The ASX 200 recovered almost half of its early morning losses, but it still finished the day down 0.4% in a very polarised session. The damage on the index level was again inflicted by miners, with BHP on its own accounting for more than 60% of the index's decline. Fortunately, the banks and broader market were again supportive, with the number of winners just managing to edge the losers despite the main board's decline.

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.