What Matters Today: Are coal stocks the best way to play AI’s initial huge energy demand?

Thursday saw the Annual headline inflation rate fall to 2.8% in the three months to September from 3.8% in the June quarter, slightly better than the forecasted 2.9%, but it wasn’t enough to move bond markets or the Aussie Dollar. The numbers were broadly in line with the RBA’s inflation outlook; remember last week, Michele Bullock said it would take another “year or two” before consumer prices are sustainably in their 2-3% target band, i.e. rates will remain higher for longer.

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Afternoon report 17/02/2025 16:54

The Match Out: ASX dips as Bendigo (BEN) & Westpac (WBC) lead the banks lower

While the ASX closed in the red, it was a big turnaround from early weakness with a large sell-off in the banks, headlined by Bendigo (BEN) & supported by Westpac (WBC) weighing on the market early, however, from 1pm onwards the buyers stepped up pushing the main board more than +60 points above the session lows as reporting season continues to deliver a mixed bag, with a positive bias.

Morning report 17/02/2025 09:51

Macro Monday: Step up the RBA – we hope!

It's no secret that the RBA is expected to cut rates this week, with the futures market calling it an “87% probability.” However, the accompanying rhetoric is likely to drive local stocks in the coming weeks, especially with the market looking for two additional cuts into Christmas, taking the Cash Rate to 3.6%. Local rates have sat at a restrictive 4.35% since November 2023, and we think three cuts are likely to prove too dovish; Michele Bullock's comments on Tuesday will be a classic case of the devil being in the detail.

Weekend report 15/02/2025 09:38

Weekend Q&A: Reporting season & the RBA will set the tone this week

Last week, the ASX200 climbed +0.5%, notching fresh highs on Thursday and Friday. However, on both occasions, the market surrendered most of the day's gains by the close. It was a mixed affair on the sector front, with the Industrials +2.9 % and consumer staples +2.4% leading the line while the healthcare -3.8% and energy stocks -1.1% took the open spoon. However, the real action unfolded on the stock level as is typical during reporting season:

Afternoon report 14/02/2025 17:26

The Match Out: ASX surges to intra-day high early, fades through the day. Cochlear and AMP disappoint.

The ASX broke through the 8600 mark for the first time and surged in the first hour of trade, hitting a new intra-day all time high of 8615 with concerns over U.S reciprocal tariffs overnight. The market couldn’t hold the high though, dropping 60 points from mid-morning through the afternoon as profit-taking in Commonwealth Bank and a reversal of a strong move in BHP signaled selling and dragged the index back down.

Morning report 14/02/2025 09:52

What Matters Today: MM’s updated view on Insurance stocks after IAG’s plunge

The ASX200 ended a choppy Thursday slightly higher after registering a fresh all-time high around midday before drifting lower through the afternoon. The market is starting to feel a little tired after surging over 25% from its late 2023 low, not just on the index level but also some of its high-valuation top performers are encountering profit-taking, even in most cases after posting solid results, i.e. Pro Medicus (PME), JB Hi-Fi (JBH), IAG Insurance (IAG) and CAR Group (CAR).

Afternoon report 13/02/2025 17:01

The Match Out: New high for the ASX doesn’t hold

The ASX traded to a new all-time high this morning, printing a new milestone @ 8575, before losing steam, closing 35pts below the high. A bumpier ride today on the reporting front with larger moves on the downside, the Insurance stocks under the pump following IAG’s result while the Iron Ore stocks found some form.

Morning report 13/02/2025 09:37

What Matters Today: Is the smart money switching out of CSL?

The ASX200 felt like a “one trick pony” on Wednesday, following CBA’s strong result, as the index's largest company led the “Big Four Banks” to an average gain of +1.5% as NAB and WBC joined CBA in making fresh all-time highs, contributing well over half of the day 51-point advance.

Afternoon report 12/02/2025 17:32

The Match Out: Solid results drive the ASX higher

The ASX traded lower in the first hour of trade as sellers initially pushed CBA into the red, it was all one-way traffic from 10.30am onwards as both CBA and the market rallied, the former trading to new all-time highs on slightly better than expected results.

Morning report 12/02/2025 09:33

Portfolio Positioning: Golds soars & lithium falls, what’s new!

The ASX200 surrendered early gains on Tuesday to end the session up just 1 point, with CSL the primary weight on the index and healthcare sector. The biotech’s 5% fall took almost 22 points off the index, offsetting gains elsewhere helped by several positive earnings results across the market.

Afternoon report 11/02/2025 17:15

The Match Out: CSL hit on softer earnings, Gold stocks shine, Seven West signals low in traditional media

The best of it seen early this morning with the market up ~30pts before tapering off to finish largely flat on the session, weakness in CSL took ~20pts off the index and was the major drag while the other index heavy weights did okay, with Comm Bank (CBA) down a touch ahead of results tomorrow.