ASX 200 flat at 8,729 on 1 June 2026 as a tech rebound offsets a healthcare slide
ASX 200 close: 8,729.4 (-0.03%) Breadth: 119 advancers / 121 decliners (across the 250 largest names) Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,729.4 on 1 June 2026, down 2.3 points or 0.03%, as a technology rebound and a healthcare selloff cancelled each other out. WiseTech WTC.AU jumped 8.72% and Xero XRO.AU 7.69% as the late-May technology selloff reversed, while ResMed RMD.AU fell 7.58% on the GLP-1 weight-loss-drug overhang. A softer Melbourne Institute monthly inflation gauge (-0.3% in May, its first decline since February) gave duration-sensitive growth names support heading into a week built around Wednesday's Q1 GDP print.
What drove the move
The index finished 2.3 points lower as two large forces pushed in opposite directions and nearly cancelled.
- Technology rebound: the IT complex added roughly +35 basis points, led by WTC.AU +8.72% (worth about 22 bps alone at its ~2.5% index weight), XRO.AU +7.69%, MP1.AU +7.02% and TNE.AU +6.40%. The sector was reversing a steep late-May drop that had WiseTech down 66% over twelve months.
- Health Care slide: roughly -20 bps, with CSL.AU -2.49% (about -11 bps at its ~4.5% weight) and RMD.AU -7.58% doing most of the damage as GLP-1 demand fears kept ResMed near a 52-week low.
- CBA and Real Estate: CBA.AU -1.04% subtracted about 10 bps as the index's largest single weight, and REITs deepened the drag (LLC.AU -5.51%, SGP.AU -3.41%), together near -15 bps.
Together the technology bid (about +35 bps) and the healthcare-plus-CBA drag (about -35 bps) roughly cancelled, leaving the ASX 200 at -0.03% with advancers and decliners split 119 to 121 across the 250 largest names.
Session highlights
- 8,729.4 close, down 2.3 points, after the prior session's 0.9% rally to 8,731.7; the All Ordinaries XAO.AU finished +0.05%.
- WTC.AU +8.72% to 39.15 and XRO.AU +7.69% to 80.95 led an Information Technology bounce that also lifted SDR.AU +10.86%, MP1.AU +7.02%, TNE.AU +6.40% and 360.AU +5.38%.
- RMD.AU -7.58% to 26.57 dragged Health Care to the worst-performing corner of the board; CSL.AU -2.49%, FPH.AU -1.89%, RHC.AU -1.48% and SHL.AU -1.38% followed.
- CXO.AU +8.47%, IGO.AU +4.70%, PLS.AU +4.33%, LIN.AU +3.95% and VUL.AU +3.51% led a lithium and critical-minerals rally on the firmer China carbonate price.
- RIO.AU +1.55%, MIN.AU +1.17%, FMG.AU +0.90% and BHP.AU +0.27% kept the iron-ore majors green and held the index up.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Information Technology, with WTC.AU +8.72%, XRO.AU +7.69%, MP1.AU +7.02%, TNE.AU +6.40% and SDR.AU +10.86%.
- Worst: Health Care, with RMD.AU -7.58%, CSL.AU -2.49% and FPH.AU -1.89%; Real Estate also lagged on LLC.AU -5.51%, SGP.AU -3.41% and SCG.AU -1.57%.
- Dispersion: the spread from the best large-cap mover SDR.AU +10.86% to the worst BRE.AU -10.74% was 21.6 percentage points, even as the index held flat.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| SDR.AU | +10.86% | Extends gains on its new SiteMinder Powered embedded-distribution platform |
| CAT.AU | +10.09% | Post-results momentum; FY26 revenue +19%, record 18% EBITDA margin |
| A4N.AU | +9.09% | Rode the critical-minerals bid; no single-stock announcement |
| WTC.AU | +8.72% | Rebound off late-May lows as the technology selloff reversed |
| CXO.AU | +8.47% | Lithium rally as China carbonate and spodumene prices firmed |
| BRE.AU | -10.74% | No ASX announcement; high-beta rare-earths name sold off |
| DRO.AU | -8.55% | High-beta defence-tech pullback; no announcement |
| RMD.AU | -7.58% | GLP-1 demand fears; ASX line catches down to the US, near a 52-week low |
| EQR.AU | -6.52% | No announcement; thin small-cap selloff |
| KLS.AU | -5.56% | No ASX announcement; flow-driven |
Notable announcements
- CAT.AU posted FY26 results last week showing revenue up 19% and a record 18% management EBITDA margin, and the stock extended that move +10.09% today.
- SDR.AU continued to climb on its SiteMinder Powered launch, which lets hospitality-technology partners embed its distribution engine, with Mews named the first partner.
- The Melbourne Institute monthly inflation gauge slipped 0.3% in May, its first monthly decline since February, while ANZ-Indeed job ads rose for the first time in three months.
At the AU close (16:15 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASX 200 | 8,729.4 | -0.03% | Flat as tech and healthcare offset |
| S&P 500 futures | 7,615.5 | +0.26% | Pointing up into the US session |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 30,538.5 | +0.44% | Leading the pre-open bid |
| Brent crude | US$93.93 | +3.08% | Firmer on Middle East tension |
| Gold | US$4,535/oz | -1.26% | Eased on a steadier US dollar |
| AUD/USD | 0.7187 | +0.01% | Held the 0.7185 area |
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Tue 2 Jun, 11:30: ABS Q1 balance of payments and business indicators (company gross profits, inventories), the GDP partials.
- Wed 3 Jun, 11:30: ABS Q1 GDP (National Accounts), the week's marquee domestic release.
- Wed 3 Jun, overnight: US ISM and ADP private payrolls ahead of Friday's US jobs report.
- Fri 5 Jun, overnight: US May non-farm payrolls, the main offshore event for the AU open.
Context only, not financial advice. Track your own trades with Swingfolio.