Swingfolio Daily
ASX briefings — Monday 18 May 2026
Morning setup and afternoon close recap for Monday 18 May 2026. Observations only — no trade advice.
Monday 18 May 2026
Hormuz oil shock hits Wall Street as ASX opens defensive
Friday saw S&P 500 -1.24% to 7,408.50, Nasdaq -1.54%, Dow -537 points, VIX +6.78% to 18.43, and the US 10-year Treasury yield +10 bps to 4.60% as Trump rejected an Iran-easing framework and the still-closed Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent +3.35% to US$109.26. Gold -2.63%, copper -4.79%, AUD/USD -1.04% to 0.7148. ASX 200 last closed at 8,640.7; US futures kept selling Sunday evening AEST (ES -1.24%, NQ -1.54%).
ASX 200 -1.45% to 8,505 — Brambles guidance cut, Tuas crashes 63% on Singapore probe
ASX 200 fell 1.45% to 8,505.3 on 18 May 2026 — lowest close since early April. Brambles (BXB) cut FY26 underlying-profit-growth guidance to +3-5% (from +8-11%) and added a US$400m buyback, sending shares -20.23%. Tuas (TUA) crashed 62.79% after Singapore IMDA suspended its M1 acquisition review, three days before the 21 May long-stop. China April data missed badly (industrial output +4.1%, retail sales +0.2%), hitting RIO -3.63%, BHP -2.80%, FMG -2.88%. AU VIX up 11.68%; energy bid on Brent +1.18%.