The ASX advanced +0.6% on Tuesday on relatively broad based gains with over 60% of the main board closing higher. However, it was the rare combination of strength in both materials and financials that dragged the index higher, contributing ~86% of the days advance from a points perspective. What caught our eye was some buying coming back into some of the consumer facing stocks, ironically just as consumer confidence data plunged towards a 30-year low – there’s nothing quite like the combination of rising interest rates and cost-of-living pressures to squeeze everyday Australians, particularly when the holy grail of household wealth – property prices, are falling at the same time.