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The ASX200 bode farewell to the financial year in the same bearish manner that’s dominated the last 2-months taking its decline for the tax rule-off period to -10.2%. Losses on the disappointing Thursday compounded through the day with the index closing down 2%, only 10% of the main board managed to close in positive territory but the fall wasn’t caused by tax-loss selling as many might discuss this morning, it was all about aggressive falls in global risk assets during our time zone which flowed into the ASX:
The ASX lost ground into the close on Tuesday after RBA governor Michele Bullock signaled that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future, with upside risks to inflation re-emerging. The main board, which had hovered modestly lower for most of the session, accelerated its decline after the post-meeting press conference as a more hawkish tone from the RBA supported the Australian dollar, while tech stocks led the local losses.
The ASX 200 opened weaker on Monday before trading in another narrow range, eventually finishing the session down just -0.1%. Outside of another impressive session for the lithium stocks, it was a fairly non-committal session with investors and traders alike happy to sit on the sidelines ahead of the RBA today and Fed on Thursday - credit markets are still expecting no change locally and a 0.25% cut in the US, but it’s the accompanying rhetoric that will determine where stocks finish the week.
The ASX finished lower as investors moved to the sidelines ahead of tomorrow’s RBA policy decision, with sentiment soft despite a modestly positive lead from Wall Street and little in the way of corporate news flow to drive individual names. Lithium names were a bright spot following last week’s sector upgrade however this was offset by gold stocks which retreated as bullion eased over the weekend.
Wall Street is lending incredible sums of money as the AI revolution explodes, even as it wrestles with how to shield itself from a potential bubble of its own making. As we’ve shown before, the cost of protecting Oracle Corp. debt against default has risen to the highest since the GFC. The sheer fact that risk levels are comparable to the tumultuous times back in 2007/8 shows how much money is at stake. Mega offerings from tech behemoths, including Oracle, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet, have already helped push global bond issuance well over $US6 trillion in 2025.
The ASX 200 recovered late in the week after a sluggish start, finishing up +0.2% over the five days. It was a notably quiet week overall, with the index trading within a narrow 0.8% range. However, on the sector level, it was another very polarised week with the materials +3% and energy +2.4% sectors extending recent strength while the rate-sensitive tech, healthcare and consumer discretionary names continued to struggle with the futures market now pricing in one, perhaps two rate hikes by the RBA in 2026, what a difference a few weeks make!
A mildly positive session for the ASX today, and enough to secure a second straight weekly gain as investors continue to recalibrate expectations for interest rates. The RBA steps up to the plate on Tuesday, no change expected, though commentary is important, while the US Federal Reserve is tipped to cut rates on Thursday.
The ASX 200 enjoyed a firm session on Thursday, closing up +0.3% on its intra-day high, an uncommon trait of late. It was another session where the miners supported the local market but this time the banks finally played a supporting role.
The ASX edged higher on Thursday, with record-breaking copper prices doing the heavy lifting as interest-rate-sensitive sectors sagged under rising bond yields. Bond markets have now priced out any chance of an RBA rate cut this cycle, and traders are assigning a 15% probability of a rate hike as early as February. Strong household spending data for October, the biggest jump in two years added weight to the RBA’s concern that inflation remains too sticky.
The ASX200 advanced +0.2% on Wednesday, with the utilities and energy sectors leading the market higher, even though more stocks on the main bourse ended the day in the red. On the stock level, gains were mixed, but another strong session by BHP added almost 50% of the day's gain on its own. MM remains bullish towards miners, believing they will continue to outperform the broad market as they have over the last 6-months, although we do believe several of the large tech names are close to a sharp bounce, especially if/when rate hike fears fade.
A good day to have the Market Matters Christmas lunch, with a very quiet session playing out across the board. The ASX inched higher by the close as softer-than-expected GDP data briefly rekindled hopes the RBA might not need to tighten rates in 2026.
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