HomeReportsThe Match Out: Stocks bounce from lows, Energy &…
Stocks were hit early on the back of the hotter inflation print in the US overnight, the ASX down ~100pts at its worst, before a spirited/impressive recovery played out, underpinned by the resources & energy sectors while the Staples also played their part. This sort of market action is indicative of a strong market, where negative news gets a short sharp reaction, but ultimately the weight of money remains on the buy side.
Last week was again volatile at the stock level as the local reporting season drew to a close, but the index forged ahead, absorbing what was thrown at it and closing up 1.3% at a new all-time high. The materials sector continued to do the heavy lifting, closing up +7.4%, ably supported by the consumer staples, which ended up 5%, while the retailers were a notable weak link with the consumer discretionary sector ending the week down 3.3%. With BHP surging more than $5, also closing at an all-time high on Friday, the market enjoyed a huge uplift from the “Big Australian” while beats trumped misses, which bodes well through 2026, although there were some standouts in both camps.
ASX experienced a quiet Friday managing to firm into the close ending the week at another all-time high. But again, there was still plenty of volatility on the stock level as we approach the end of reporting season.
The ASX 200 posted another all-time high on Thursday, closing up +0.5% after flirting with the psychological 9200 level in the morning. IT stocks led gains, with the sector surging +5.2% amid a broad-based rally that saw 7 of 11 sectors trade higher. Health care rebounded 1.6% following recent weakness, supported by a strong interim result from Ramsay Health Care. The miners again provided meaningful support, rising 1.0% and pushing to fresh highs as BHP extended its record run, trading above $58 for the first time - even after closing 50c below its intra-day high Australia’s biggest stock added more than 20 points to the index, or more than 40% of the day's gain.
The ASX pushed to another record close, extending its February rally with a strong bounce back in tech on a positive read through from Nvidia’s result, and the vast majority of companies reporting better than hoped earnings.
The ASX 200 powered to a fresh all-time high on Wednesday, ending the session with triple-digit gains. In character with recent action on the stock/sector level, gains weren’t as broad-based as we would usually expect for such a barnstorming day, with more than 30% of the main board closing lower, along with the consumer services, defensive utilities and consumer discretionary sectors. It's starting to sound like a stuck record, but the miners performed the heavy lifting with BHP Group (BHP) contributing ~28% towards the day's gain - the “Big Australian” is on fire, adding another +3.2%, extending its surge so far in 2026 to +24%, and we’re less than two months in!
The ASX powered to a fresh record high today, brushing off a hotter-than-expected inflation print as investors leaned into a sharp rebound in technology stocks and a blockbuster earnings response from several companies.
The ASX200 closed flat on Tuesday despite less than 40% of the main board advancing. The story at the stock/sector level remained the same, with miners and banks offsetting losses across the broader market. BHP, Westpac and NAB added 24 points to the index. BHP, often referred to as the Big Australian, made new all-time highs on Tuesday, trading above $55 for the first time while it reported strongly this month, its starting to remind us of the feeding frenzy where ETF and momentum buyers drove CBA towards $200 in the first half of 2025:
The ASX finished essentially flat after giving back early gains, as another bout of selling in technology and financial stocks with continued weakness across the insurance complex as AI disruption fears linger
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