Portfolio Positioning: Chinese Banks cutting the key rate by the most on record fails to impress

Yesterday, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) announced lenders had cut their 5-year loan prime rate (LPR) by 25 basis points to 3.95%; it was the first cut since June, reaffirming Xi Jinping’s intentions to reinvigorate their economy, which the prolonged property crisis has weighed down. This was the biggest-ever cut to the key mortgage reference rate as Chinese banks cut rates to incentivise borrowing; the targeted stimulus will increase the potential pool of buyers as apartment prices continue to slip lower.

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Morning report 20/04/2026 08:58

Macro Monday: The Bulls are back in Control of global stocks

Friday delivered a textbook geopolitical whipsaw. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 surged to fresh record highs, and crude oil sold off sharply after Iran's Foreign Minister declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open for commercial traffic — markets breathed, algos bought, and risk was back on.

Weekend report 18/04/2026 10:36

Weekend Q&A: US stocks punch to new all-time highs as the Strait of Hormuz opens

The ASX200 finished the week down -0.2%, snapping a 3-week winning streak as it failed to embrace the strength across global indices. A +13% surge by the tech sector wasn't enough to offset losses by the influential banks, with the financial sector ending the week down -2.1%. Westpac set the tone early in the week, flagging that interest-rate volatility tied to the Iran conflict had hit its market’s income and prompted higher credit provisions. While not unexpected given rising rates, cost-of-living pressures and higher fuel prices, the update reinforced a cautious “if in doubt, get out” stance from investors ahead of May results from ANZ, NAB and Westpac

Afternoon report 17/04/2026 16:58

The Match Out: ASX drifts as ZIP surges and banks stay under pressure

The ASX 200 slipped today, ending the session lower, awaiting further clarity on negotiations around the US-Iran ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The market snapped a three-week winning streak after the sharp rebound seen earlier in the month, though the pullback looks more like a period of consolidation rather than a meaningful shift in the broader trend.

Morning report 17/04/2026 09:36

ETF Friday: As the War Premium Unwinds, Four Energy ETFs Back In Focus

For a third consecutive session, the ASX 200 opened strongly above 9000 before falling away throughout the day, dragged lower by the influential banks - it must be reading the MM report this week! Such is the hefty influence of the banks that, although over 60% of the main board closed higher on Thursday, an average drop by the “Big Four Banks” of over 2% was enough to drag the index down by 0.3%. Under the hood, the markets following the MM script so far this week.

Afternoon report 17/04/2026 09:37

The Match Out: Tech roars but banks drag as the ASX slips

The ASX wavered today as investors balanced improving global risk sentiment against fresh domestic data. The local market initially opened higher following record closes on Wall Street, but struggled to hold early gains as traders digested Australia’s latest labour market report.

Morning report 16/04/2026 10:20

What Matters Today: The War Trade Unwinds – How to Reposition in Energy

The ASX200 again drifted lower after a strong open to finish Wednesday's session up just +0.1% - closing above the psychological 9000 level is proving tough after the recent strong run. The banks were again the main drag on the index, with the “Big Four Banks” all closing down on the day, with Westpac’s -1.9% fall the standout following their Tuesday update. On the sector level, the tech names outperformed for a change, gaining +2.4% while the energy names took the wooden spoon, slipping -1.9%.

Afternoon report 15/04/2026 17:10

The Match Out: ASX consolidates as EVN leads the gold charge

The ASX looked set for a strong day early, but only finished marginally higher. We probably sound like a broken record at times – the ASX will struggle to push meaningfully higher without the banks leading, but today was the perfect example. The index briefly pushed above the 9,000 level intraday, though selling in financials capped the advance.

Morning report 15/04/2026 09:50

Portfolio Positioning: Cracks in the Consumer – Reviewing Exposure as Confidence Slides

The ASX200 limped to a 45-point gain on Tuesday, after opening with a bang it surrendered more than 50% of its early gains as the banks came under pressure, courtesy of Westpac (ASX:WBC). From a points perspective it was very much a market of two halves with the two heavyweight market sectors pulling in opposing directions:

Afternoon report 14/04/2026 17:21

The Match Out: ASX cracks 9,000 level then fades, Westpac flags Middle East conflict impacts

Today’s session kicked off with a strong open with the index pushing through the 9,000 level for the first time since early March before giving back some ground through the day, ultimately consolidating through the afternoon into the close.

Morning report 14/04/2026 09:44

What Matters Today: Four ASX200 Stocks With Plenty to Gain From AI Cost Savings

We felt the ASX200 delivered a solid performance on Monday given the weekend's disappointing developments out of Pakistan around the US-Iran war, and the headwind of weakening global futures throughout our session.