ASX 200 closes at 8,757.8, up 0.30%, as technology gains outrun a rate-hike drag on banks
ASX 200 close: 8,757.8 (+0.30%) Breadth: 139 advancers / 83 decliners Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,757.8 on 22 September 2026, up 25.9 points or 0.30%, with a 2.67% rise in information technology outweighing losses in financials and utilities ahead of a cash-rate decision the market prices near 90%. SRL.AU rose 12.71% to $20.48 in its second session inside the index, after joining the S&P/ASX 200 before the open on 21 September. The NASDAQ Composite closed 2.26% higher at 27,122.09 overnight; local buyers took 30 basis points of that lead.
What moved the index
- Information technology: the sector index rose 2.67%, about 11 bps of the 30 bps index move on a weight near 4%. WTC.AU +2.86%, NXT.AU +3.83%, MP1.AU +4.30% and TNE.AU +2.67% followed the NASDAQ Composite's 2.26% overnight close.
- Materials: +0.58% on a weight near 19%, about 11 bps. BHP.AU +0.72%, MIN.AU +1.48% and LYC.AU +3.79% rose while December gold futures fell 0.77% to US$4,350/oz.
- Health care and consumer discretionary: +0.76% and +1.29%, together about 16 bps. CSL.AU +1.36% and TLX.AU +6.54% led the first, TLX.AU on a radiopharmaceutical joint venture with ITM announced at its New York R&D day. ALL.AU +2.25% and LOV.AU +4.50% led the second.
- Financials, energy and utilities: -0.13%, -1.16% and -2.03%, together about -11 bps. CBA.AU -0.43% and NAB.AU -0.28% held the largest weight in that group. WDS.AU -2.37% and ORG.AU -4.02% followed Brent crude trading below US$100 overnight.
Together those four groups account for about 27 bps of the 30 bps index move. The rest sits in real estate (+0.79%) and industrials (+0.58%), neither of which had a single-name catalyst.
Session highlights
- SRL.AU +12.71% to $20.48, the largest single-name gain in the 242-name sweep, in its second session as an S&P/ASX 200 constituent.
- TLX.AU +6.54% to $16.79 after Telix and ITM announced a radiopharmaceutical joint venture at Telix's 2026 R&D day in New York.
- ORG.AU -4.02% to $11.21 and AGL.AU -2.25% to $8.26 took utilities to -2.03%, the weakest of the eleven sectors.
- 139 advancers against 83 decliners, with 20 unchanged, gives a 1.7-to-1 advance ratio on a 30 bps index move.
- 11.399 on the S&P/ASX 200 VIX at the close, down from a prior close of 11.94.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Information technology (+2.67%)
- Worst: Utilities (-2.03%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 4.70 pts
- Materials held the widest internal spread: 4 of the 5 largest sweep gainers sat in resources, while CYL.AU -14.37% and RSG.AU -4.44% were 2 of the 5 largest falls.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| SRL.AU | +12.71% | Joined the S&P/ASX 200 before the open on 21 September |
| A4N.AU | +9.26% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| EOS.AU | +8.22% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| SXE.AU | +7.44% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| BCI.AU | +7.14% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| CYL.AU | -14.37% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| TBN.AU | -5.66% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| RSG.AU | -4.44% | December gold futures -0.77% to US$4,350/oz |
| ORG.AU | -4.02% | Utilities -2.03%; Brent traded below US$100 overnight |
| EUR.AU | -3.41% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
Notable announcements
- TLX.AU and ITM announced a radiopharmaceutical joint venture at Telix's 2026 R&D day in New York on 22 September.
- SRL.AU entered the S&P/ASX 200 before the open on 21 September, its first index inclusion.
- CBA Household Spending Insights rose 0.1% month on month, down from 0.6%, with annual growth at 4.7%.
- RBA governor Michele Bullock said data centre construction is adding to demand-driven inflation, and that unemployment may need to reach 4.5% to 5% to cool the labour market.
At the AU close (16:15 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 futures (Dec) | 7,835.0 | +0.02% | Cash index closed 7,764.7, +1.49% |
| Nasdaq 100 futures (Dec) | 30,770.0 | -0.05% | NASDAQ Composite closed 27,122.09, +2.26% |
| STOXX 600 | 641.2 | -0.11% | Mid-European session |
| Nikkei 225 | 65,018.95 | +1.38% | Closed |
| Hang Seng | 25,060.74 | +0.07% | Still trading |
| Brent (Dec) | US$97.20 | +1.00% | Back above US$97 after trading below US$100 overnight |
| Gold (Dec) | US$4,350.0/oz | -0.77% | Session low US$4,349.2 |
| AUD/USD | 0.7113 | -0.14% | Session low 0.7101 |
| US 10-year yield | 4.963% | -3.5 bps |
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Wed 09:00: SPI 200 open; tracks the overnight US session.
- Wed 23:30: US cash open; the NASDAQ Composite set a record close on 21 September.
- Thu 11:30: ABS Labour Force for August. Bullock put the unemployment rate needed to cool the labour market at 4.5% to 5%.
- Thu 11:30: ABS Australian National Accounts, Finance and Wealth, June quarter.
- Tue 29 Sep 14:30: RBA cash rate decision. CBA, ANZ, NAB and Westpac all forecast a rise.
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