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The ASX200 slipped 0.1% last week after a tough Friday session, but it still ended up 2.3% for July. Earnings season is upon us, and it’s already started to exert its force on the market – It’s not often you see an ASX200 stock halve in the blink of an eye! We have begun the seasonally weak August-September period for the ASX, and on cue, the index has started to feel a touch soft, although 2-days doesn’t make a summer.
The ASX 200 closed up in a decent session, shrugging off the RBA’s move and the immediate Iran-related volatility and instead refocusing on underlying fundamentals. With the RBA firmly in the rear-view mirror following Tuesday's hike, attention has shifted squarely to tonight's US Federal Reserve decision. Tech and real estate led the charge, with growth stocks clawing back recent losses as bond yields settled and seven of eleven sectors finished higher — the kind of broad participation that hints at improving conviction in a wobbled market.
The ASX200 rebounded +0.4% on Tuesday, with most of the gains enjoyed after the RBA lifted interest rates from 3.85% to 4.1% at 2.30 pm. The materials sector was back on top of the leaders board, advancing +1% as gold stocks led the bounce, while tech was back in the naughty corner, retreating another 1.25%, taking it within 4% of making fresh 2026 lows.
The ASX closed modestly higher on Tuesday in a session that was entirely about one thing: the RBA. A split 5-4 decision to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1% initially sent the dollar and bond yields lower as the narrow margin cast doubt over the path ahead, but banks and materials held the index in positive territory, though it wasn't a convincing rally.
The ASX200 ended a choppy session on Monday down 0.4%, with miners and tech stocks leading the declines. While fewer than 40% of the main board finished higher, it was the heavyweight miners that drove most of the decline, with BHP, Northern Star and Fortescue accounting for around 60% of the day’s net fall.
The ASX 200 fell as a broad sell-off in the mining sector overwhelmed a solid showing from defensives and financials. Six of eleven sectors finished higher, but that didn't matter much when the heavyweights were doing the damage. Gold miners were hit as bullion continued to slide following two consecutive weeks of declines. Iron ore stocks also weighed after China's state-backed trader eased restrictions on BHP ore grades — partially unwinding last week's fear-driven rally as fresh data showed Chinese steel output fell 3.6% in the first two months of the year.
The worst oil supply disruption in history shows little sign of easing, keeping crude elevated since the Iran conflict began as Trump and Iran’s new leader signal little appetite for de-escalation. Washington has allowed more sanctioned Russian crude to flow in an attempt to cap prices, but markets are increasingly concerned that Trump & Co may have bitten off more than they can chew, particularly with US mid-term elections looming in November.
The ASX200 ended a choppy week down 2.6%, with the Middle East conflict weighing on equities. Energy was the only sector to finish higher, while rate-sensitive tech (-7%) and real estate (-5%) dragged on the index as surging oil prices reignited inflation fears. The influential materials sector also endured a tough week, retreating -4.7% as weakness in copper and gold stocks offset a bounce in iron ore names. However, the market's largest stock, BHP, weighed heavily on the index, falling 5.7% over the week as a Chinese ban on its iron ore caused increasing angst. The moves on Friday night in the US point to more of the same next week, with gold and copper stocks coming under renewed pressure.
The dominant forces were geopolitical and monetary policy related. The escalating Iran conflict drove oil above $US101/barrel, stoking inflation concerns and cementing market expectations of an RBA rate hike at Tuesday's meeting - markets are pricing an 80% probability by close. That rate repricing drove a sharp rotation: banks were again the standout beneficiaries, with NAB leading at +1.5%, while gold miners came under significant pressure.
The ASX 200 endured another tough session on Thursday, falling -1.3% and chalking up another triple-digit decline. Several headwinds weighed on the market, most notably oil surging more than ~9% at one stage, with the knock-on impact on bond yields dominating the headlines. A plan by the International Energy Agency to release millions of barrels from strategic reserves failed to calm markets after reports that Iran struck oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating fears of supply disruptions through the critical shipping route that carries roughly 20% of global oil trade. Every day Brent crude pushes above US$100 chips away at confidence that the global economy can quickly move past the Iran conflict.
The ASX 200 bounced another +0.6% on Wednesday with the miners and banks dragging the market higher, even when only 45% of the main board closed in positive territory. To put things into perspective, the local bourse closed up 50-points with the miners alone contributing +42 points to the day, helped by another solid day for iron ore, and related names. Traders were offered some relief from the recent volatility spurred by the Iran war on Wednesday after the International Energy Agency (IEA) reportedly proposed the release of oil reserves. Unfortunately, the market failed to follow the heavyweight sectors higher, with weakness resurfacing in the tech and high growth stocks, more on this later with the Tech Sector, closing down 1.6%, just missing out on the wooden spoon to the Utilities sector.
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