ASX 200 Falls 0.46% to 9,073.2 as NAB and JB Hi-Fi Results Hit Banks and Retailers
ASX 200 close: 9,073.2 (-0.46%) Breadth: 143 advancers / 142 decliners Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 9,073.2 on 17 August 2026, down 42.0 points or 0.46%, a fourth consecutive decline caused by results-day selling in two heavyweight sectors. JBH.AU fell 12.31% to $71.65 after its FY26 report paired record $11.06 billion sales with July comparable sales down 1.4% in its Australian stores, and NAB.AU lost 4.62% to $39.46 on a third-quarter update showing home loan applications down 15% on the June quarter. Materials pushed the other way, rising 1.76% as COMEX gold gained 0.35% to US$4,452.90 an ounce and copper added 1.24% to US$6.695 a pound.
What moved the index
- Financials: the XFJ sector index fell 1.76%, worth roughly 56 bps of the 46 bps index decline. NAB.AU dropped 4.62% on a Q3 update carrying an impairment charge of $299 million against $250 million consensus. ANZ.AU -2.60%, CBA.AU -1.30%, WBC.AU -0.85% and MQG.AU -0.50% followed it down.
- Consumer Discretionary: XDJ -3.00%, worth roughly 21 bps. JBH.AU reported July comparable sales of -1.4% in Australia, -1.7% at The Good Guys and -4.0% at e&s. SUL.AU -6.64%, PMV.AU -4.71%, HVN.AU -4.56% and WES.AU -4.35% all sold with it.
- Materials: XMJ +1.76%, worth roughly 38 bps in the opposite direction. The All Ordinaries Gold index XGD gained 3.77% to 18,492.1, copper strength lifted S32.AU 3.36% and SFR.AU 2.11%, and BHP.AU added 1.39% to $62.20 the session before its FY26 result.
- Health Care: XHJ -0.85%, worth roughly 8 bps. CSL.AU fell 1.39% to $134.60 ahead of its own result on Tuesday.
Together those four sectors account for about 47 bps of the 46 bps index move. The residual is close to zero because Energy at +0.93% and A-REIT at -1.04% roughly cancelled, and breadth finished almost square at 143 advancers to 142 decliners.
Session highlights
The S&P/ASX 200 has now fallen for four straight sessions and sits 2.0% below its 6 August record high, with every large move today traced to an August result.
- JBH.AU -12.31% to $71.65. FY26 NPAT of $489.9 million was up 6.0% and the 337 cent full-year dividend was the highest since FY22, but management flagged supplier price rises above 50% in some PC brands and continued stock shortages in computers and gaming consoles.
- NAB.AU -4.62% to $39.46 on Q3 cash earnings of A$1.83 billion. Business lending and deposits grew; the bank tied softer home loan demand to inflation, three RBA rate rises and the federal budget's property tax changes.
- XGD +3.77% to 18,492.1, the gold index's highest level since 22 April and 23.4% above its 30 July level. EVN.AU +5.15%, GMD.AU +4.46%, CMM.AU +4.30% and NST.AU +2.98% all closed higher.
- 143 advancers against 142 decliners. Eight of the eleven GICS sectors moved less than 1.1% in either direction, so the 0.46% index fall came from concentrated losses in the largest banks and retailers.
- AUD/USD +0.55% to 0.7126 as the US dollar index eased 0.28% to 99.39.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Materials (+1.76%)
- Worst: Consumer Discretionary (-3.00%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 4.76 pts
- Financials at -1.76% held the widest internal split of any sector: NAB.AU -4.62%, ANZ.AU -2.60%, CGF.AU -2.02%, SUN.AU -1.99% and QBE.AU -1.82% against SDF.AU +5.64%, which rose on a reconfirmed $6.00 per share cash approach.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| ACL.AU | +14.89% | FY26 earnings beat consensus on margin gains |
| MSB.AU | +10.86% | 350 patients treated in Phase 3 back pain trial |
| IPX.AU | +7.60% | No company news. Critical minerals bid. |
| L1G.AU | +7.24% | FY26 NPAT +97%, includes $79.3m one-off fee |
| SDF.AU | +5.64% | Consortium reconfirmed $6.00 cash per share |
| JBH.AU | -12.31% | Record FY26 sales, July Australian comps -1.4% |
| IRE.AU | -11.63% | 1H26 revenue -16.9%, full-year revenue guidance cut |
| LLC.AU | -11.15% | FY26 loss of $749m against $225m prior-year profit |
| AZJ.AU | -10.34% | FY26 NPAT +24%, softer FY27 coal guidance |
| SUL.AU | -6.64% | Sold with retailers after the JBH.AU July update |
Notable announcements
- LLC.AU FY26: revenue of $5,429 million, down 30%; $3.4 billion of capital recycling contracted or completed; $100 million of net overhead savings; total distribution 15.7 cents.
- AZJ.AU FY26: underlying EBITDA +9% to $1,724 million, EPS +29% to 25.2 cents, final dividend of 10.5 cents at 90% franking, FY26 total 23.0 cents and up 46%.
- IRE.AU 1H26: cash EBITDA of $61.1 million from $45.6 million, margin 24.5% from 15.2%, interim dividend up 27% to 14 cents. The company lifted its full-year cash EBITDA outlook while trimming revenue guidance.
- L1G.AU FY26: revenue up 49% to $385.9 million, funds under management up 17% to $19.1 billion, a debt-free balance sheet with $635 million in cash and seed investments.
- GPT.AU 1H26: FFO of $338.8 million or 17.7 cents per security, distribution of 12.25 cents against 12.3 cents consensus, like-for-like net property income growth of 5.8%. GPT.AU closed 2.53% lower at $5.00.
At the AU close (16:15 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (Friday close) | 7,785.76 | -0.17% | Soft US retail sales and consumer sentiment |
| S&P futures | 7,815 | +0.13% | Live through the AU session |
| Nasdaq futures | 30,270 | +0.43% | Live through the AU session |
| Nikkei 225 | 69,220.25 | +0.74% | Closed |
| Hang Seng | 25,511.31 | +1.57% | Still trading |
| KOSPI | 6,977.94 | +2.42% | Closed |
| Gold (COMEX) | US$4,452.90/oz | +0.35% | Silver added 1.5% to US$66.10/oz |
| Brent | US$88.26 | -0.29% | US economic pressure on Iran keeps supply risk priced |
| Copper (COMEX) | US$6.695/lb | +1.24% | London copper rose 1.8% on Friday |
| AUD/USD | 0.7126 | +0.55% | US dollar index -0.28% to 99.39 |
Regional equities outperformed the ASX across the board. The KOSPI added 2.42%, the Hang Seng 1.57% and the Shanghai Composite 1.41%, which places today's Australian underperformance squarely on the domestic results calendar.
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Mon 23:30: Wall Street reopens after Friday's soft retail sales and consumer sentiment prints. S&P futures sat +0.13% and Nasdaq futures +0.43% at the AU close.
- Tue 08:30: BHP.AU FY26 results, consensus NPAT of US$12,411.9 million. Four of the 30 brokers tracked by Bloomberg rate the stock a buy, the fewest on record.
- Tue: CSL.AU FY26 results, consensus NPAT of US$3,088.0 million. BHP.AU and CSL.AU are the two largest non-bank companies on the ASX and report within the same 24 hours.
- Tue 09:00: ASX open; SPI tracks the overnight US session.
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