ASX 200 ends flat at 8,911.4 as Brent near US$100 lifts miners against a bank and healthcare slide
ASX 200 close: 8,911.4 (-0.11%) Breadth: 95 advancers / 133 decliners (238 large caps swept) Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,911.4 on 9 September 2026, down 9.4 points or 0.11%, as a 1.73% gain in Energy and a 1.51% gain in Materials cancelled out a 1.02% fall in Financials and a 1.50% fall in Health Care. ASB.AU rose 7.13% to $4.66 after Austal confirmed a non-binding indicative offer of up to A$1.35bn for its US business from a Wildcat Infrastructure-led group, the second bidder for that asset. Brent crude sat at US$99.99, up 2.11%, after reports of explosions near Iran's Kharg Island and Houthi strikes on Saudi energy sites.
What moved the index
- Energy and Materials: XEJ +1.73% and XMJ +1.51%, worth roughly +45 bps against the index. BHP.AU gained 3.25% to $64.58, RIO.AU 1.89% to $179.33 and WDS.AU 2.60% to $33.14, as iron ore recovered to US$100 a tonne and Brent rose 2.11%.
- Financials: XFJ -1.02%, worth roughly -31 bps. CBA.AU fell 2.17% to $155.25 and NAB.AU 1.54% to $38.27 while the Australian 3-year yield added 2 bps to 4.84%, its highest since June 2011, and RBC Capital Markets moved its RBA call to a November hike to 4.60%.
- Health Care: XHJ -1.50%, worth roughly -11 bps, almost all of it from CSL.AU -2.05% to $171.21 and RMD.AU -2.13% to $30.74.
- Consumer Discretionary: XDJ -1.14%, worth roughly -7 bps, after Westpac's consumer sentiment index fell 5.2% month on month to 84.4 on Tuesday. APE.AU -5.01%, HVN.AU -2.55%, SUL.AU -1.88%, FLT.AU -2.10%.
Those four sectors net to roughly -4 bps of the -10.5 bps index move. Communication Services, Consumer Staples, Information Technology and A-REITs each shed 0.57% to 1.04% and account for the rest, with Utilities adding 1.01% back.
Session highlights
- BHP.AU +3.25% to $64.58 was the single largest positive contributor, ahead of RIO.AU +1.89% and FMG.AU +0.46%. The S&P/ASX 200 Resources index closed +1.65%.
- CBA.AU -2.17% to $155.25 pushed the S&P/ASX 200 Financials index to a two-month low. NAB.AU -1.54%, WBC.AU -0.55% and ANZ.AU -0.41% followed; MQG.AU +0.85% was the exception.
- Gold miners closed far above their opening marks. WGX.AU ended -4.33% at $6.18 on FY27 guidance, yet EVN.AU -0.14%, NST.AU -0.70% and KCN.AU -1.10% pared falls of 3% to 6% set at the open, as gold reversed an overnight 1.6% drop to sit at US$4,451.10/oz, +0.27%.
- TEA.AU +6.34%, SXE.AU +4.37%, MAH.AU +3.66%, SRG.AU +3.40% and MND.AU +1.07% all rose. Every one of them contracts to the miners.
- SEK.AU -5.60% to $12.80 and PXA.AU -5.50% to $7.04 were the two largest index declines. Unannounced, likely flow-driven.
- 11.75 on the AU VIX, down 1.81%, even after the Dow's 628-point fall overnight.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Energy (+1.73%)
- Worst: Health Care (-1.50%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 3.23 pts
- Seven of the eleven sectors closed lower. Materials showed the widest internal spread: BHP.AU +3.25% and RIO.AU +1.89% against ARU.AU -7.14% and WGX.AU -4.33%.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| MI6.AU | +10.37% | Minerals 260 to $0.905. Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| CXO.AU | +7.14% | Core Lithium to $0.375; PLS.AU +1.62% and LTR.AU +1.26% also firmer. |
| ASB.AU | +7.13% | Wildcat Infrastructure bid of up to A$1.35bn for the US business. |
| TEA.AU | +6.34% | Tasmea to $9.89, alongside SXE.AU +4.37% and MAH.AU +3.66%. |
| CSC.AU | +5.47% | Capstone Copper to $16.00; copper near record after a 1.0% overnight rise. |
| SHV.AU | -7.34% | Select Harvests to $4.67. Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| ARU.AU | -7.14% | Arafura Rare Earths to $0.195. Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| TBN.AU | -6.67% | Tamboran Resources to $0.28, against Brent +2.11%. No announcement. |
| SEK.AU | -5.60% | SEEK to $12.80. Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| GDG.AU | -5.04% | Generation Development to $3.20, with Financials -1.02%. |
Notable announcements
- WGX.AU: FY27 guidance of 385koz to 425koz at AISC of $2,980 to $3,380/oz, growth capital of $450m to $480m, and an FY29 target of 460koz to 510koz. Shares closed -4.33%.
- EIQ.AU: the FDA issued a Not Substantially Equivalent determination on Echo IQ's first EchoSolv HF 510(k) application. Shares closed -50.00% at $0.640.
- CYL.AU: Catalyst Metals lifted the Keillor resource about 280% to 307koz at 3.0g/t gold, with a reserve update due in coming weeks. Shares closed -0.45%.
- SYR.AU: Syrah pushed financial close on its DFC, DOE and AustralianSuper funding proposals to the first half of 2027. Shares closed flat at $0.105.
At the AU close (17:30 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 futures | 7,689.25 | +0.11% | Cash closed Tuesday at 7,673.52, -0.58% |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 29,597.75 | +0.20% | Nasdaq cash -0.32% on Tuesday |
| Nikkei 225 | 65,142.78 | -0.19% | Closed |
| Hang Seng | 25,250.04 | -0.27% | Still trading |
| KOSPI | 7,051.64 | +1.40% | Closed, the strongest session in the region |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,951.51 | +0.28% | China August CPI came in at 0.8% year on year |
| Brent | US$99.99 | +2.11% | Kharg Island explosion reports |
| Gold | US$4,451.10/oz | +0.27% | Firm through the AU session |
| Copper | US$6.795/lb | -0.42% | Near record after an overnight 1.0% gain |
| AUD/USD | 0.7240 | +0.21% | |
| US VIX | 15.66 | -0.38% | Dow fell 628 points on Tuesday |
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Thu 09:00: ASX open, following the US cash session that reopens after the Dow's 628-point, 1.18% Tuesday fall.
- Fri 22:30: US August CPI from the BLS, 8:30am ET on 11 September.
- Tue 15 to Wed 16 Sep: FOMC decision, with a 58% implied probability of a hike.
- Thu 24 Sep 11:30: ABS Labour Force, August.
- Wed 30 Sep 11:30: ABS monthly CPI indicator, August.
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