ASX 200 rises 0.79% to 8,682.1 as bond yields ease and tech jumps 4.45%
ASX 200 close: 8,682.1 (+0.79%) Breadth: 144 advancers / 92 decliners (246 largest ASX names) Sentiment: bullish
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,682.1 on 2 October 2026, up 67.7 points or 0.79%, as the US 10-year Treasury yield fell 6 bps to 5.24% overnight after touching 5.344%, its highest since 2002, and Australia's 3-year yield slipped 4 bps to 4.88%. MP1.AU rose 10.32% to $22.34, extending a 13% weekly run after it secured about $1 billion in AI contracts. The index recovered about 39% of Thursday's 1.99% fall, and the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology index rose 4.45%, taking its four-session gain to 8.1%.
What moved the index
The ASX 200 gained 79 bps on 2 October 2026, with financials, materials and info tech supplying most of the move.
- Financials (+1.03%): worth about 34 bps of the 79 bps gain. NAB.AU +1.61%, WBC.AU +1.24%, CBA.AU +1.16% and ANZ.AU +0.48% recovered part of Thursday's falls of about 3%. QBE.AU added 4.20% after Macquarie upgraded it to Outperform with a $26.20 target.
- Materials (+1.14%): worth about 23 bps. BHP.AU +1.58% to $61.21 and RIO.AU +1.20% to $164.81 after Macquarie upgraded Rio Tinto to Outperform; MIN.AU +2.16% and LYC.AU +2.45%.
- Info tech (+4.45%): worth about 13 bps. WTC.AU +6.67%, XRO.AU +4.59% and TNE.AU +4.45% joined the week's catalyst names MP1.AU and DTL.AU.
- Health care and real estate (-1.10% and -1.65%): cost about 20 bps. COH.AU -3.80%, CSL.AU -1.62%, PME.AU -2.92%, GMG.AU -2.56% and VCX.AU -2.58%.
Together, these four groups net to about 50 bps of the 79 bps move. Energy (+1.48%), consumer discretionary (+0.85%), staples (+1.05%) and industrials (+0.45%) add about 20 bps, and the remaining 9 bps is rounding in the approximate sector weights, with 144 of 246 large ASX names closing up.
Session highlights
- 4.88% on Australia's 3-year yield is its lowest close since 10 September, down 4 bps on the day.
- 3,178.8 on the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate index (-1.65%) is its lowest close since January 2024.
- DTL.AU +7.76% to $13.61, a second record high, after Thursday's guidance for first-half profit before tax up more than 40% to above $46.9 million.
- WTC.AU +6.67% to $33.43 from a level near its six-year low; 360.AU +7.03% to $20.40 and ZIP.AU +3.76% to $2.07.
- Health care (-1.10%) is down 3.5% over two sessions; COH.AU closed at $125.39.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Information Technology (+4.45%)
- Worst: Real Estate (-1.65%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 6.10 pts
- 9 of 11 sectors closed higher. Materials had the widest internal spread: MIN.AU +2.16% against CXO.AU -6.35% and BNZ.AU -8.38%.
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| ELS.AU | +12.95% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| MP1.AU | +10.32% | About $1 billion in AI contracts this week; Bell Potter initiated at Buy, $27 target |
| DTL.AU | +7.76% | First-half profit before tax guided up more than 40% |
| 360.AU | +7.03% | Unannounced; info tech index +4.45% |
| A4N.AU | +6.84% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| EQR.AU | -10.11% | Unannounced; stock up 1,279% over 12 months |
| MAH.AU | -9.91% | Unannounced; gave back a late-September run to $1.10 |
| BNZ.AU | -8.38% | Unannounced; stock up 155% over 12 months |
| CXO.AU | -6.35% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| KLS.AU | -6.07% | FY27 EBITDA guidance of $295 million to $310 million, 8% below estimates |
Notable announcements
- OFX Group: investigating a cybersecurity incident involving access to some client data; no client funds affected so far.
- Praemium: CEO Anthony Wamsteker resigned with immediate effect; shares +9.09% to $0.60.
- Sigma Lithium: suspended Brazil production on 30 September pending an appeals ruling; FY27 guidance of 330,000 t kept.
- Firmus Grid: set its ASX IPO at $11 a share for a $43.7 billion valuation, with the bookbuild from 6 October and a listing targeted for 23 October.
- Macquarie: upgraded RIO.AU, QBE.AU and TCL.AU to Outperform; TCL.AU closed +0.77% at $13.11.
At the AU close (16:15 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (cash) | 7,666.45 | +0.19% | Thursday close |
| S&P 500 futures | 7,744.50 | +0.27% | Ahead of US payrolls |
| Nasdaq 100 futures | 30,893.00 | +0.43% | Cash Nasdaq closed +0.04% |
| STOXX 600 | 628.69 | +0.33% | Early European session |
| DAX | 25,040.73 | +0.41% | Early European session |
| Nikkei 225 | 68,309.46 | -0.94% | Closed |
| Hang Seng | 23,924.33 | -2.80% | First session after National Day; tech-led |
| KOSPI | 7,003.74 | +0.46% | Closed |
| Brent | US$101.20 | -1.08% | Above US$100 after the US sent a third carrier toward the Middle East |
| Gold | US$4,216.7/oz | +0.34% | Futures |
| AUD/USD | 0.6944 | +0.17% | |
| US 10-year yield | 5.24% | -5.6 bps | Intraday high 5.344% on Thursday |
Shanghai stays shut for China's National Day holiday until 7 October.
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Fri 22:30: US September payrolls and unemployment rate
- Sun 4 Oct: daylight saving starts in NSW, Victoria and the ACT
- Mon 10:00 AEDT: ASX open; tracks the S&P 500 futures response to payrolls
- Tue 6 Oct: Firmus Grid IPO bookbuild opens at $11 a share
- Thu 8 Oct: Shanghai and Shenzhen reopen after Golden Week
Context only. Not financial advice. Track your own trades with Swingfolio.