us markets

Market weakens on China tensions, local tech dumped, hot IPO market cooling The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) fell 0.5%, weakening throughout the day as news continued to worsen.  Initially, it was US payment giant PayPal (NYSE:PYPL) delivering a strong earnings result but announcing they would soon be bringing their BNPL offering to Australia in direct competition with Afterpay (ASX:APT). Shares in APT fell 7.0% and the IT…

ASX hits 13 month high, unemployment falls again, oil prices jump 5%  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) is within just 100 points of an all-time, finishing 0.5% higher today and slowly catching up to a US market that is hitting new highs almost every other day. Today, it was all about the mining and energy sector, with US crude inventories…

ASX breaches 7,000, record highs all around, Westpac hit with ASIC case The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) delivered another positive day, finishing 1.0% higher spurred on by an improving global economic outlook. Market sentiment is overcoming growing issues with the vaccine rollout and risk of mutations, with materials the biggest beneficiary jumping 1.8% behind BHP (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) both of which…

Nasdaq rally, NZ travel bubble, merger activity sends market higher The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) followed a strong US lead on Tuesday, adding 0.8% with the industrials and IT sectors the key drivers. The risk-on mood boosted Afterpay Ltd (ASX:APT) by 10% and competitor Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) by 9.1% after what has been a difficult few months for the BNPL companies. By far the…

Market down as Brisbane locks down, AGL to split, USD rallies  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.9% lower after the Queensland Government announced a lockdown amid surging virus cases in Brisbane and surrounding areas. The retail sector was hit hard, falling 1.4%, as the likes of Flight Centre (ASX:FLT), -1.8% and Webjet (ASX:WEB), -2.0%, were hit with cancellations of Easter travel plans. The…

ASX up 1.7% for the week, all action at the CEO-level of AMP and TPG, battery stocks on the charge  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished the day 0.5% higher, with every sector but healthcare delivering a positive return. Telecommunications and IT were the highlights, finishing 1.3% and 1.2% higher, with a 2.4% jump in Telstra (ASX:TLS) offsetting a 6.7% fall…

ASX delivers a gain, AMP CEO to resign, wealth platforms take a major hit  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) managed to register a slight gain, finishing 0.2% higher behind strength in the banking and healthcare sectors, with National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) up 0.5% and CSL (ASX:CSL) 1.4% amid a search for quality. The news of the day was the rumoured departure of ‘saviour’…

ASX continues to weaken, unemployment surprises, NZ nearing second recession The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished another 0.7% lower on Thursday, with every sector but miners and retailers falling. Amongst the biggest detractors were the Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) and CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL), down 1.6% and 1.9% respectively. The sell-off came despite what appears to be great news for the economy; the unemployment rate…

ASX gains on travel boost, inflation expectations tempered, but confidence key The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished the week strongly, adding 0.8% on Friday, enough to deliver the second straight week of gains. Stimulus was at the top of the agenda this week, with a combination of comments by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Federal Government setting the direction of markets….

GDP smashes expectations, ASX rises, economic activity expands  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) continued its winning ways gaining 0.8% on Wednesday following the release of Australian economic growth results this morning. GDP growth for the December quarter smashed all expectations hitting 3.1% and making Australia one of the fastest growing developed nations in the world. Economists and other experts…