Between the Bells

Our local market gained just 0.3% today. While the ASX200 was trading quite flat today, Qantas shares were outperforming the XJO, as well as other travel stocks, amid news that Qantas Frequent Flyer has launched thousands of points planes to coastal cities over the summer. More than 3,000 flights will be turned into what’s referred to as “points planes” where every seat can be booked under a class...

Global markets closed in the red overnight, after protests in China raised worries around supply chains. Stocks fell as social unrest from China’s prolonged COVID restrictions weighed on markets around the world. Chinese governments tightened some COVID controls as case numbers rose, even though earlier this month Beijing adjusted some policies that otherwise suggested the country’s reopening. Thi...

The local market started the week in negative territory, closing the session down 0.42% as a sharp sell-off in energy stocks weighed on the key index driven by commodity prices plunging. Oil retreated to its lowest level since 2021 today, amid unrest in China as large crowds gathered in Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan to protest over the harsh COVID-19 restrictions in the region. Sentiment in the oil...

The local market climbed 0.25% on Friday as investors anticipated strong Black Friday sales demand would boost the beaten down consumer discretionary sector. Utilities stocks soared 5% on Friday, while materials and energy stocks were sold off. The winning stocks on Friday were led by Nanosonics (ASX:NAN) lifting 11.06% on the back of Ord Minnett upgrading the company to a hold rating with an impr...

The Aussie share market lifted 3.6% this week (Mon-Thu), as investor sentiment was boosted by signs that the RBA and other central banks will ease their aggressive stance on rates. Plus we put the magnifying glass on some of 2022’s big deals.     In this week's wrap, Grady covers:  •    (0:13) How companies & investors navigated M&As this year  •    (0:36) The mining deal between BHP...

US financial markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, with trading set to resume on Friday in New York. However, markets will close early at 1pm local time.  European stocks rallied to levels last seen 3 months ago, with the STOXX 600 closing at its strongest level since August 18, led by gains in real estate stocks.  What to watch today:   The SPI futures are suggesting the Australian ma...

The local market jumped 0.14% to a near 6-month high today on the back of a solid session on Wall Street overnight buoyed by the latest FOMC minutes outlining that it may be appropriate soon for the Fed’s to slow down their aggressive rate hikes. Tech stocks was the best performing sector, while gold miners also led the charge today amid a rise in the price of the precious commodity. Qantas Airway...

Wall Street extended its rally into Wednesday after the latest FOMC minutes showed most policy makers expect a slowdown in interest rate hikes will ‘soon be appropriate’. For the first time though, the Federal Reserve staff said that a recession is possible in the next year, with some saying the Fed’s current action could exceed what was required to tackle the country’s 40-year high inflation. Tra...

Australian stocks rose from a second day, following a rebound in the US and European equity markets.   The ASX200 gained 0.7%, boosted by utilities, industrials and energy. All sectors, except technology and real estate, were trading in positive territory.  Today Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) upgraded guidance amid strong travel demand, which saw its share price close 5.3% higher. Qantas lifted its pro...

Wall Street rallied on Tuesday as investors shift focus from China’s covid-lockdowns to a number of strong earnings reports due out in the short trading week including from Nordstrom and HP Inc. The Dow Jones industrials index closed 1.16% higher, the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.25%, and the S&P500 rose 1.30%. Investors are keenly focused on a number of Fed official speeches this week, particula...

The ASX rebounded from Monday’s losses to close Tuesday’s session up 0.59% at a fresh 5-month high, with the gains largely driven by investors piling into the energy sector today amid the rising price of commodities. Coal stocks rallied today as the price of the commodity surges 2.2% to US$351/tonne. Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) jumped more than 7.5%, New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) rallied over 7% an...

US equities closed the first session of the week in the red. The Dow Jones down 0.2% and the S&P500 down 0.4%, while the Nasdaq dropped a little over 1%. And this week is a short trading week on Wall Street due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Fears that China may again enforce COVID restrictions after reporting deaths from the virus, weighed on markets overnight, and sent energy stocks and oil pr...

The local market rallied in the opening hour of trade before declining throughout the first trading session of the week to end the day down 0.18% as investors sharply sold out of materials, energy and information technology stocks today. Utilities stocks led the market gains, with the sector adding 1.77% at the closing bell today. Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) shares rallied today after the lithium dev...

The local market closed 0.23% higher on Friday driven by a surge in materials stocks on the back of OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) announcing it has received and intends to accept a revised takeover offer from BHP Group (ASX:BHP) for $28.25 per share, in a deal worth $9.6 billion. The consumer discretionary, real estate and energy sectors closed Friday’s session in the red. The best performing stocks on Fr...

The Aussie share market declined 0.31% this week (Mon-Thu), however there were some positives. The materials sector rose after China announced the easing of its COVID-zero goal, as well as a property rescue package.     In this week's wrap, Sophia covers: (0:12) Why mining stocks advanced this week (0:26) Whether Chinese steel mills can return to profit (1:20) The current outlook for iron ore...

Rising yields sparked recession fears overnight, which saw US equities close in the red. The Dow Jones down 0.3%, the S&P500 down 0.6% and the Nasdaq down 0.7%. While stocks fell, bond yields jumped higher, after the Fed signalled the rate hikes will continue, as they aim to tame inflation.  In Europe, investors digested geopolitical tensions and the UK budget. The UK finance minister Jeremy H...

The local market followed in the footsteps of Wall Street today, closing the second last trading session of the week down 0.2%, amid the release of unemployment data showing a decline in the country’s unemployment rate, which was a result vastly different to what economists’ were expecting. Consumer staples was the leading sector today, while the energy sector weighed down on the market. The big s...

Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday after US retail sales figures came in at 1.3% for October which was higher than expectations, after levelling off in September, indicating consumers are still spending despite interest rates being aggressively hiked month on month. The Dow Jones closed flat, the S&P500 fell 0.71%, and the Nasdaq ended the session down 1.51%. Yesterday, former US President...

Investor concerns over Russia’s war with Ukraine escalating caused the sell-off on the ASX today, with the key index closing the midweek session 0.27% lower amid a Russian missile strike pounding Ukraine’s energy facilities and Poland with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, according to reports. The mining giants offset some of the sessions’ losses with BHP Group (ASX:BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) a...

The US markets rebounded on Tuesday to close higher across the key indices following the release of US producer price index data that measures wholesale inflation, for October showing an increase of just 0.2% which was below market expectations and is another sign inflation is slowing in the region. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the gains adding 1.27% on Tuesday, while the Dow Jones and S&P500 als...

The local market extended its decline on Tuesday, closing the session down just 0.07% as investor confidence has been dampened in recent days by Fed officials warning that higher interest rate hikes are to be expected despite inflation in the US slowing. Lithium miners took a hit today on the back of a poor trading session on Monday for US lithium stocks despite the price of lithium remaining stro...

US stocks ended the first session of the week lower, taking a pause from last week’s big rally. The Dow closed 0.6% lower, the S&P500 down 0.9% and the Nasdaq fell 1.1%. Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested at a conference in Sydney yesterday, that the market may have overreacted to last week’s CPI reading and said that policymakers still had “a ways to go” before the hiking cycle comes t...

The ASX slipped into the red in afternoon trade before closing  the first trading session of the week down 0.16%, weighed down by a sharp sell-off in industrials stocks.  The materials sector rallied 3.4% today amid a surge for iron ore miners on the back of the price of iron ore surging 4.47% to US$93.50 per tonne overnight. Champion Iron (ASX:CIA) rose almost 13% and was the winning stock of tod...

The local market soared 2.8% on Friday following the release of US inflation data out late on Thursday that hit 7.7% for October, which indicates a slowing of economic growth in the US and prompted investors to believe that inflation has now peaked. Investors piled into technology stocks which have been sold-off sharply of late as the cost of borrowing financing increases with every interest rate...

The Aussie share market gained 1.04% this week (Mon-Thu), as investor sentiment was buoyed by recovering commodity prices, early reports of China easing its COVID-zero goal, and the anticipated results of the US midterm elections.    In this week's wrap, Grady covers: (0:36) The shift in investments from equities to cash or term deposits (1:07) The big banks' corporate earnings  (4:12) T...