What Matters Today: Does MM see value in the Retail Sector?

European markets bounced strongly overnight, with the EURO STOXX 50 closing up +1.45% as dip buyers waded back into US futures. US stocks rebounded following their worst week since April as investors embraced a stronger Democratic candidate. This enabled them to focus on the looming major earnings reports, with Tesla and Alphabet facing the music on Tuesday. The political news is unlikely to materially impact the market unless Harris can dent Trump’s apparent significant lead, something Biden was unlikely ever to do. By the close, the S&P500 had risen the most since June, with the “Magnificent Seven” up around 2.5% while the small-cap Russell 2000 added +1.7%. Crowdstrike (CRWD US) fell another 13% as the magnitude of the weekend blackout hit home and, of course, the prospect of litigation on the horizon.

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Afternoon report 14/10/2025 17:12

The Match Out: ASX recovers early weakness, Rare Earths stocks go ballistic

The ASX flipped between gains and losses through Tuesday and sat mildly higher near 8900 at the close. Risk appetite improved on signs Washington and Beijing will keep talking, a cooler Middle East backdrop and a flow on more positive updates from Aussie corporates, with several positive, growth orientated deals announced.

Morning report 14/10/2025 09:49

What Matters Today: The local high-valued/growth stocks are feeling vulnerable

The ASX 200 opened lower as expected on Monday, but failed to capitalise on a steady advance in U.S. futures, with nearly half of the session’s losses occurring in the afternoon even as the S&P pushed higher.

Afternoon report 13/10/2025 17:13

The Match Out: ASX hit on trade threats, ANZ resets strategy & rallies

The ASX tracked weakness in overseas markets, though we started the day better off, with US Futures recovering from the get-go, finding solace from DJT’s more conciliatory comments towards China.

Morning report 13/10/2025 09:40

Macro Monday: Will another US-China trade stoush create opportunities, or a big problem?

The game of chicken is back on between the US and China, just in time to deliver some seasonal October volatility. Chinese President Xi Jinping has drawn a clear red line in a bid to stem new US export controls, threatening to reignite a tit-for-tat trade spiral with Donald Trump just weeks before a planned meeting between the leaders of the world’s biggest economies.

Weekend report 11/10/2025 13:42

Weekend Q&A: October’s volatility arrives on Friday night!

The ASX200 ended the week mildly softer, with tech and consumer discretionary stocks dragging the index down 0.3%. While the index treads water on the stock & sector level, the local market is getting more interesting with a strong performance by the miners almost offsetting broad-based weakness, with 5 of the main 11 sectors retreating between 1.4% and 2.4%. By Friday's close, the winners' enclosures contained an eclectic mix, with the material sector dominant in the positive contributors while the tech names were noticeable on the other side of the ledger:

Afternoon report 10/10/2025 17:47

What Mattered Today: ASX trickles lower with profit taking across the Golds

The ASX closed lower for the week, with today’s session capped by a risk-off tone as peace headlines out of Gaza knocked the shine off oil and gold, while iron ore heavyweights fell on renewed pricing tensions with China.

Morning report 10/10/2025 09:16

ETF Friday: Looking at 3 ETFs for sector reversion into 2026

The ASX 200 rose +0.3% on Thursday, though the real action played out beneath the market's surface, with the materials sector leading the charge, up +1.8% despite a rare pullback in gold stocks.

Afternoon report 09/10/2025 17:20

The Match Out: Copper & Rare Earth stocks push ASX within striking distance of all-time high

The ASX snapped a three-day losing streak today as heavyweight miners powered the market higher, pushing the index back within reach of record levels. A 14-month high in copper prices sparked strong gains across the materials sector, offsetting weakness in banks and tech.

Morning report 09/10/2025 09:22

What Matters Today: Will the RBNZ reinvigorate the “yield” trade?

The ASX200 slipped 0.1% on a quiet Wednesday, which saw some initial morning weakness before buyers returned, taking the index back towards unchanged. Outside of Wesfarmers (WES) -7.5 points and James Hardie (JHX) +5.7 points, none of the main board added or retracted more than 2 points from the index.

Afternoon report 08/10/2025 17:25

The Match Out: ASX eases as retailers and tech stocks drag; gold pauses after record high

The ASX eased modestly during the session as losses across retail and technology stocks outweighed strength in healthcare. Investors also took profits from gold miners after the precious metal briefly broke through the US$4000/oz barrier for the first time.