Market Updates

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The ASX 200 kicked off the week up 35 points to 8692 (0.4%) as optimism on a peace deal washed through. Some scepticism remains, so it was a cautious start to the week. US markets are closed tonight. Banks held firm as NAB rose 1.1% and CBA dropped 0.7%. The Big Bank Basket was steady around $275.42. Insurers slid as yields fell, QBE off 2.1% and MQG lost 1.1%. Other financials were mixed, ASX dow...

Wall St ended a positive week on a steady note, with the S&P 500 finishing up 0.37% to close at 7,473, capping off an eighth straight weekly gain - the longest weekly winning streak since 2023. The index sits just 0.3% below its all-time high. The Dow Jones added 294 points (+0.58%) to close at a record high. The Nasdaq was up 0.19%. The Russell 2000 added 0.91%. Hawkish comments from Fed Gove...

The ASX 200 rallied another 35 points to 8657 (0.4%) ahead of a US long weekend. Up 27 pts for the week. Banks pushed ahead, led by CBA up 0.9 %, and the Big Bank Basket to $275.57 (0.8%). Insurers slid as yields fell, NWL off 1.0% and GQG falling 2.2% as tech boomed. Industrials were mixed, TLS fell 1.5% as a broker downgraded the stock, REA continued lower, off 4.1%, as did CAR off 2.8%, with te...

US stocks finished higher on Thursday after a volatile trading session, as renewed hopes for a potential US-Iran agreement to end the conflict pushed oil prices lower for a third consecutive day. The S&P 500 gained 0.2%, the Nasdaq edged up 0.1%, and the Dow Jones rose 276 points to close at a fresh record high. Reports indicated that Iran said the latest US proposal had partly narrowed the ga...

The ASX 200 bounced back 125 points to 8,622 (1.5%) as the roller coaster continued this week. News from the White House on peace progress was the kicker, together with unemployment numbers coming in worse than expected at 4.5%. Pressure off the RBA. Both banks and resources fired today, with CBA up 0.9% and WBC rising 2.2%, with the Big Bank Basket rising to $273.39 (+1.4%). MQG jumped 1.7% and o...

SPI Futures up 104 points. ASX to open higher. US Futures lower on Nvidia. Wall St bounced sharply as oil fell and bond yields retreated from multi-year highs on hopes the Iran war is nearing resolution. S&P 500 up 1.1%. Dow Jones up 645 points (+1.3%), closing back above 50,000. Nasdaq up 1.5%. Volume above average. Every sector higher except Energy, down 2.6% on the oil drop. Consumer Discre...

The ASX 200 gave up yesterday's gain and more, dropping another 108 points to 8,497 (1.3%) as the rout continues. Resources bore the brunt of the selling as inflation fears stoked higher rates and tore through commodities. BHP fell 2.3% and RIO off 1.5% with gold miners under pressure again, EVN down 4.9% and NEM falling 4.5%. Oil and gas firmed, but uranium stocks eased back, PDN down 4.5%....

US equities extended their decline on Tuesday as a continued selloff in US Treasuries, driven by inflation concerns tied to the war in the Middle East, pressured investor sentiment. The S&P 500 finished 0.7% lower, the Nasdaq closed down 0.8% while The Dow shed more than 300 points, or 0.6%. AI infrastructure companies continued their correction after soaring this month, previously supported b...

The ASX 200 bounced back 99 points today to 8605 (1.2%) as banks led the recovery. CBA gained % with the Big Bank Basket up to $271.83 (=1.5%%). NAB the standout gaining 2.0%. MQG also had a good day up 1.9% and insurers did well as higher bond yields helped, QBE up 2.9% and MPL rising 2.1%. REITs also had a better day with GMG up 1.8% and CHC up 2.2%. Industrials were firm, WES finally finding bu...

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 fell on Monday, bogged down by declines in technology, as traders monitored oil prices and bond yields while awaiting further developments with the conflict in the Middle East. The broad market benchmark dropped 0.07% to end at 7,403.05, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 0.51% and closed at 26,090.73. It was the second straight day of declines for both index...

The ASX 200 fell 126 points to 8,505 (-1.5%) today in a dismal start to the week. Thankfully, the banking sector held up relatively well, with CBA posting a 1% rise, while insurers also performed strongly on the back of higher bond yields. The Big Bank Basket rose to $267.83 (+0.3%). Other financials did not fare as well, with MQG falling 2.6%, HUB down 1.1%, and the REIT sector also under pressur...

Stocks fell sharply on Friday as investors grew increasingly concerned about the impact of the prolonged conflict with Iran, particularly the risk that higher energy prices could further fuel inflation and keep interest rates elevated. The S&P 500 lost 1.2%, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.5% and the Dow Jones fell 1.1%. Investors took profits in the technology sector following strong recent ga...

The ASX 200 eased back another 10 points to 8631 (0.1%), capping off a miserable week at the index level. The index fell 1.3% this Budget week, mainly as banks crashed with CBA in focus. Banks made up some lost ground after significant falls this week, with CBA up 1.9%, ANZ up 1.1%, and the Big Bank Basket rising to $266.97 (1.4%). Insurers had a good day, with QBE rising 1.9% and SUN also doing w...

Stocks were higher on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average retaking 50,000 after strong earnings from Cisco Systems and following a key meeting between U.S. and China. The 30-stock index popped 370.26 points, or 0.75%, to end at 50,063.46. The S&P 500 climbed 0.77% and closed at 7,501.24, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.88% to 26,635.22. Those two indexes scored fresh all-time i...

Marcus Today – Daily Market Insights Marcus Today provides clear, practical commentary for self-directed investors – covering markets, portfolios, education, and decision-making without the noise. If you'd like to go further: Start a free 14-day trial of Marcus Today http://bit.ly/mt-trial-podcast Join Marcus Today Use code MTPODCAST for 10% off http://bit.ly/mt-join-podcast-offer MT20 – Mana...

US equities were mixed, with tech outperforming losses in broader sectors as faster inflation weighed against the ongoing AI rally. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose more than 0.5% while the Dow fell 200 points. Producer inflation surged more than expected in April, both for energy-exposed goods and non-energy services, to show that the impact of the war in the Middle East on prices has spread p...

The ASX 200 fell another 40 points to 8630 (0.5%) as the banks came under intense pressure following the budget last night. Adding to the bank woes was the update from CBA , which shocked the market as bad debts rose and growth was sadly lacking. CBA fell an astonishing 10.4%, with the other three banks also falling hard on changes to housing policy in the budget. The CBA fall accounted for around...

US stocks cut losses in the last three hours of trading, with the S&P 500 closing 0.2% lower, the Dow remaining near the flat line, and the Nasdaq falling 0.7%. Hot April CPI report consolidated worries that higher energy prices may dent earnings prospectives backing bets that the Fed will not cut rates this year against recent evidence of a robust labor market. Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Te...

  The ASX 200 fell 31 points to 8671 (0.4%), as once again we saw selling in the banking sector weigh on the market. The Big Bank Basket fell to $280.74 (1.6%), with CBA down 1.4%, ANZ falling 2.1%, and MQG also coming off the boil, down 2.2%. Other financials also eased back, NWL dropped 3.0% and XYZ down 3.1%. Once again, we also saw REITs under pressure, with SCG off 1.1% and CHC down 1.2%. Ind...

US stocks rose on Monday, rebounding from a subdued start to the session, as the S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Nasdaq gained 0.1% to reach fresh record highs, supported by a strong rally in chipmakers amid continued optimism over AI-driven demand. The Dow Jones also advanced 95 points. Among the standout performers, Nvidia climbed 2%, Tesla surged 3.9%, Qualcomm jumped 8.4%, and AMD added 0.8%. M...

The ASX 200 dropped 43 points to 8702 (0.5%) as CSL shocked investors again, with a huge write-off and a downgrade to guidance. CSL accounted for most of the loss today.  Elsewhere, banks recovered some from earlier large losses, CBA down 1.1% and ANZ , XD down 2.4%. The Big Bank Basket fell to $285.25 (-1.1%) ANZ XD.  MQG flat, well off session lows. Other financials found their feet, NWL up 1.1%...

The US markets just keep on keeping on. The S&P 500 ended up 0.84% at 7,398 and the Nasdaq gained 1.71% to 26,247, both hitting record highs. The Dow was little changed, up 12 points to 49,609. The tech sector led with the sector up 1.8%. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged their sixth straight weekly gain, with the S&P 500 now up +8% year to date and the Nasdaq up +13%. SPI down 42 - B...

The ASX 200 we dropped 134 points to 8744 (-1.5%) today as the banking sector came under extreme pressure. We saw CBA down 1.9%, WBC down 4.8% ex-dividend today and the Big Bank Basket falling to $288.50 (-2.3%). Other financials also under pressure today, with the insurers falling as QBE updated the market on their gross written premium expectations and MQG suffering after reporting their second-...

The S&P 500 fell on Thursday after hitting a new all-time intraday high as oil prices came back from sizable losses, with traders eyeing more developments between the U.S. and Iran. The broad market index fell 0.38% to close at 7,337.11, dragged lower by losses in Amazon as well as semiconductor stocks such as Broadcom and Micron Technology. The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.13% and ended at 25,806....