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The ASX200 started June on the back foot, slipping 0.2%. Overall, this was not a bad performance, considering that further geopolitical uncertainty rattled global markets after a few quiet weeks; the S&P 500 futures were down ~0.5% during our trading session.
Someone seems to have told Trump about the TACO term (Trump Always Chickens Out) which has gotten him firing again with higher tariffs on Steel imports and accusations that China is not holding up its end of the bargain, reducing tariffs while negotiations take place.
Yet again, the “sell in May & go away” catchphrase played out as the myth that the statistics foretold. Although the stellar 3.8% gain was the second-best of the last decade. The most critical point when it comes to considering the seasonality of the ASX200 is to “Keep it Simple, Stupid” (KISS) with our favourite three factors looking forward towards Christmas.
The ASX 200 rallied on the final trading day of May, closing up +0.3% for the session, leaving the index just ~2% below its all-time high. Overall, an excellent performance by the Australian bourse, advancing +3.8% for the month, shrugging off the ongoing uncertainty around tariffs and rising long-dated bond yields. However, a more dovish than expected RBA, a strong banking sector, suspicions of overseas buying, and a market caught underweight stocks after their dramatic “V-shaped” recovery from Trump’s “Liberation Day” was enough to drive the local market back towards the 8600 area. With pullbacks well supported in one of the most hated bullish advances that we can recall, it makes for a compelling argument that new highs are just around the corner.
The final trading day of the month carried the ASX to a 3.8% gain over the period and now within ~200pts of all-time highs with investors brushing off tariff risk and shifting focus back to fundamentals.
The ASX 200 closed marginally higher on Thursday, and as we enter the last trading day of May, the index is up +3.5% with only the utilities sector dragging the chain. Although it’s been a stellar month, yesterday’s performance was a touch disappointing considering the global tailwinds.
The local market edged higher today after opening mildly weaker, lifted by strength in energy and tech stocks. A strong result from Nvidia pre-market sparked bullish sentiment toward AI enabling a +1.9% jump in NASDAQ futures, while the U.S Court of International Trade ruled against the Trump-imposed tariffs, fuelling ~30pt lift on the ASX mid-morning.
The market opened on the firm side, pushing to a new high in this recent recovery, before sellers took control post a very mildly hotter monthly inflation read. It actually felt more like index selling that dominated today, shown through both the financials and materials being the weakest links, with selling persisting throughout the afternoon.
The ASX 200 failed to build on a strong session on Wall Street, finishing down 0.1% on Wednesday, with weakness in the banks more than offsetting broader buying, as over 55% of the main board closed higher.
The ASX200 advanced +0.6%, closing at a three-month high, on Tuesday. The index was trading lower into lunchtime before the S&P 500 futures got the proverbial “bit between its teeth,” pushing higher after Japan indicated it’s considering a reduction in bond issuance.
