ASX 200 rises 0.41% to 8,732.4 as financials gain 1.42% after the Fed hike
ASX 200 close: 8,732.4 (+0.41%) Breadth: 131 advancers / 103 decliners (250 largest ASX names) Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,732.4 on 17 September 2026, up 35.9 points or 0.41%, as the financials sector rose 1.42% on bank buying that outweighed a 1.98% fall in the All Ordinaries Gold index after the US Federal Reserve lifted its target range 25 bp to 3.75% to 4.00%. EOS.AU gained 7.99% to $10.00, the largest rise among the 250 biggest ASX names, as DRO.AU (+6.77%) and ASB.AU (+5.76%) also rose without a same-day company announcement from any of the three. Markets priced an 88% chance of an RBA hike at the 29 September meeting, and the four major banks rose between 1.16% and 3.16% as local rate expectations climbed.
What moved the index
The index gained 41 bps on 17 September 2026, with financials and health care adding about 56 bps against about 15 bps lost in materials, energy and technology.
- Financials (XFJ +1.42%): about +47 bps at a sector weight near one third. NAB.AU +3.16%, ANZ.AU +2.08%, CBA.AU +1.63% and WBC.AU +1.16% as RBA hike pricing reached 88% for 29 September. ASX.AU +4.14% and QBE.AU +1.04% added to the sector.
- Health care (XHJ +0.98%): worth about +9 bps. CSL.AU +1.81% to $177.56, TLX.AU +3.44% and ANN.AU +1.25%.
- Materials (XMJ -0.38%): worth about -8 bps. December gold futures -0.62% to US$4,360.30/oz after the Fed decision; PNR.AU -7.45%, RMS.AU -4.14% and NST.AU -1.81%, with 17 gold producers down 2.54% on average. S32.AU -3.39% traded ex-dividend.
- Energy and technology (XEJ -1.10%, XIJ -0.98%): worth about -7 bps combined. Brent -1.83% to US$103.89 after US crude inventories rose; STO.AU -1.83%, WDS.AU -0.87%, XRO.AU -1.34%, NXT.AU -2.90%.
Together, these four drivers account for about 41 bps of the 41 bps index move; industrials (XNJ +0.57%) and A-REITs (XPJ +0.65%) offset declines in discretionary, utilities and staples.
Session highlights
- 8,732.4 close followed a 68-point overnight fall in ASX 200 futures after the Fed hike; the index gained 0.41% instead and the AU VIX fell 7.80% to 12.618.
- NAB.AU +3.16% to $39.22 was the largest gain among the four major banks; MQG.AU was the exception at -0.08% to $239.64.
- 6.16% was the average gain across EOS.AU, DRO.AU, ASB.AU and ELS.AU (+4.10%), none with a same-day contract announcement.
- BHP.AU +0.02% to $60.21 and RIO.AU -0.10% to $166.09 held materials losses to 0.38%, while FMG.AU added 1.27%.
- S&P 500 futures were up 0.75% and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.90% at 17:30 AEST, after the S&P 500 cash index closed 0.45% lower and the Dow 1.21% lower on the Fed decision.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Financials (+1.42%)
- Worst: Energy (-1.10%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 2.52 pts
- Materials had the widest internal split: all 17 tracked gold producers fell, averaging -2.54%, while AMI.AU rose 6.98%, SBM.AU 3.49% and FMG.AU 1.27%.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| EOS.AU | +7.99% | Defence group gain with DRO.AU and ASB.AU; no announcement |
| DNL.AU | +7.77% | Investor update: on track for $325m to $340m NPAT guidance |
| 4DX.AU | +7.34% | Day after FY26 result: revenue +21% to $7.1m |
| AMI.AU | +6.98% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| WBT.AU | +6.89% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| PNR.AU | -7.45% | Gold futures -0.62% after the Fed hike |
| FRS.AU | -5.26% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| CNI.AU | -4.53% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| RMS.AU | -4.14% | XGD gold index -1.98% |
| ELV.AU | -4.13% | Lithium names lower: PLS.AU -0.71%, IGO.AU -1.71% |
Notable announcements
- DNL.AU (+7.77% to $4.16) said it is on track for FY26 net profit after tax before one-offs of $325m to $340m and for its $600m EBIT ambition in FY28; its on-market buyback ended on 16 September after buying 54,164,789 shares for $174m.
- 4DX.AU (+7.34% to $3.80) reported FY26 operating revenue up 21% to $7.1m on 16 September, with $278m in cash at year end.
- S32.AU (-3.39%), WAF.AU (-2.22%) and A2M.AU (-1.89%) traded ex-dividend; FLT.AU went ex its 30 cents fully franked dividend.
- The ABS put Australia's population at 27.9 million, up 392,700 in the year to March; net overseas migration fell 5.6% to 292,100.
- SEEK job ads rose 0.5% in August after a 12-month decline.
At the AU close (17:30 AEST snapshot)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 futures | 7,680.5 | +0.75% | Up since the Fed decision |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 29,520 | +0.90% | Cash Nasdaq closed -0.01% |
| STOXX 600 | 641.50 | +0.69% | DAX +0.77% to 25,735.62 |
| Nikkei 225 | 64,136.25 | +0.33% | Closed |
| Shanghai Composite | 3,875.60 | -0.41% | Closed |
| Brent | US$103.89 | -1.83% | US crude inventories rose |
| Gold (Dec) | US$4,360.30/oz | -0.62% | Fed signalled another hike this year |
| AUD/USD | 0.7120 | +0.41% | RBA hike 88% priced for 29 Sep |
| US 10-year yield | 5.006% | +1.0 bp | Above 5% after the hike |
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Thu 22:30: US weekly initial jobless claims
- Fri 09:00: SPI open; S&P 500 futures +0.75% at the ASX close
- Fri 11:30: ABS Australian Industry, 2024-25 financial year
- Fri: RBA Governor Michele Bullock testifies before Parliament
- Tue 29 Sep: RBA decision, 88% priced for a hike
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