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 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.
The ASX200 tried and failed to close above 8600 on Tuesday, with mining and energy stocks again supporting a nervous index. However, ongoing weakness in the rate-sensitive stocks saw the tech -1.6%, utilities -0.4%, and consumer discretionary -0.3% sectors all retreat as bets increased that the RBA will hike rates through 2026 - traders are now pricing in a ~70% chance that Michele Bullock & Co move +0.25% by next Christmas.
The ASX 200 opened firmer on Monday, but bank-led selling aided by softer US futures reversed early gains, with the index finishing 0.6% lower. The Australian Stock Exchange suffered another embarrassing episode, potentially adding to the intra-day selling that saw almost 70% of the main board closing in negative territory at the final bell.
The expected policy path of central banks, especially the RBA and the Fed, has been the main driver of the ASX’s relative performance in recent weeks. The chart below of US and Australian short-dated bond yields illustrates the divergence that weighed on local risk assets - Australian 3-year bond yields increased ~0.5% from their recent lows while the US 2s edged down towards fresh multi-year lows.
The ASX 200 drifted lower yesterday afternoon, surrendering most of the day's early gains to close up just +0.1%. The winners and losers arm wrestle was a close affair, but the bulls eventually triumphed, marking the index's longest daily winning streak since May, as renewed strength in the tech sector and the growing probability of a December interest rate cut from the US Fed put investors in a buying mood the day before Thanksgiving holiday, albeit tentatively.
The ASX200 advanced +0.8% on Wednesday, although another hot CPI reading took the edge off the strong performance. Well over 70% of the main board closed higher, with the miners again the shining light while the banks reversed early gains with two closing lower as the influential sector struggles in the face of no further rate cuts by the RBA.
The ASX200 limped into the close on Tuesday finishing the day up +0.1%, after spending most of the day swinging between positive and negative territory. A sell-off in the banking sector all but wiped-out the markets initial gain with a ~7% plunge by Bendigo Bank leading the decline.
The ASX 200 opened strongly on Monday, buoyed by Friday’s dovish commentary from the Feds John Williams, and encouragingly it held those gains throughout the session. The index closed near its highs, up 1.3%, with 85% of the main board advancing. It was the local markets largest gain in 4-months with positive sentiment reinforced after Macquarie Asset Management offered to buy Qube Holdings (QUB) in a $11.6 billion deal, sending the logistics company up more than 19%.
Division within the Fed has increased in recent weeks, as policymakers deliver increasingly divergent positions ahead of the central bank’s December meeting — all while Chair Jerome Powell remains conspicuously silent. The situation escalated on Friday when New York Fed President John Williams — often viewed as a bellwether for Powell’s thinking — signalled support for a rate cut, even as several other officials argued against easing policy.
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.
The ASX200 tried and failed to close above 8600 on Tuesday, with mining and energy stocks again supporting a nervous index. However, ongoing weakness in the rate-sensitive stocks saw the tech -1.6%, utilities -0.4%, and consumer discretionary -0.3% sectors all retreat as bets increased that the RBA will hike rates through 2026 - traders are now pricing in a ~70% chance that Michele Bullock & Co move +0.25% by next Christmas.
The ASX 200 opened firmer on Monday, but bank-led selling aided by softer US futures reversed early gains, with the index finishing 0.6% lower. The Australian Stock Exchange suffered another embarrassing episode, potentially adding to the intra-day selling that saw almost 70% of the main board closing in negative territory at the final bell.
The expected policy path of central banks, especially the RBA and the Fed, has been the main driver of the ASX’s relative performance in recent weeks. The chart below of US and Australian short-dated bond yields illustrates the divergence that weighed on local risk assets - Australian 3-year bond yields increased ~0.5% from their recent lows while the US 2s edged down towards fresh multi-year lows.
The ASX 200 drifted lower yesterday afternoon, surrendering most of the day's early gains to close up just +0.1%. The winners and losers arm wrestle was a close affair, but the bulls eventually triumphed, marking the index's longest daily winning streak since May, as renewed strength in the tech sector and the growing probability of a December interest rate cut from the US Fed put investors in a buying mood the day before Thanksgiving holiday, albeit tentatively.
The ASX200 advanced +0.8% on Wednesday, although another hot CPI reading took the edge off the strong performance. Well over 70% of the main board closed higher, with the miners again the shining light while the banks reversed early gains with two closing lower as the influential sector struggles in the face of no further rate cuts by the RBA.
The ASX200 limped into the close on Tuesday finishing the day up +0.1%, after spending most of the day swinging between positive and negative territory. A sell-off in the banking sector all but wiped-out the markets initial gain with a ~7% plunge by Bendigo Bank leading the decline.
The ASX 200 opened strongly on Monday, buoyed by Friday’s dovish commentary from the Feds John Williams, and encouragingly it held those gains throughout the session. The index closed near its highs, up 1.3%, with 85% of the main board advancing. It was the local markets largest gain in 4-months with positive sentiment reinforced after Macquarie Asset Management offered to buy Qube Holdings (QUB) in a $11.6 billion deal, sending the logistics company up more than 19%.
Division within the Fed has increased in recent weeks, as policymakers deliver increasingly divergent positions ahead of the central bank’s December meeting — all while Chair Jerome Powell remains conspicuously silent. The situation escalated on Friday when New York Fed President John Williams — often viewed as a bellwether for Powell’s thinking — signalled support for a rate cut, even as several other officials argued against easing policy.
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