ASX week in review — Saturday 18 July 2026

ASX 200 ends week flat as an oil shock lifts energy and sinks the miners

The S&P/ASX 200 ended the week to 17 July 2026 flat at 8,796.7 (-0.11%), masking a sharp sector split. A US-Iran escalation drove Brent up 15.9% and lifted energy, while gold, uranium and lithium miners were sold off hard. Wall Street fell on a semiconductor rout, with the Nasdaq down 2.9% and the VIX up a quarter.