ASX 200 flat at 8,783.9 as banks offset a 4.4% tech slide
ASX 200 close: 8,783.9 (+0.01%) Breadth: 76 advancers / 136 decliners (212-stock sweep) Sentiment: mixed
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,783.9 on 13 October 2026, up 0.7 points or 0.01%, as a 1.39% gain in financials offset a 2.03% fall in materials and a 4.37% drop in information technology. SKS.AU fell 20.53% to $6.89, 35% below the $10.60 price of the founders' 6 October block sale. South Korea's KOSPI fell 5.92% to 6,006.07 as SK Hynix lost 10.47% on fresh concern about Chinese memory maker CXMT, and ASX data centre and software names followed.
What moved the index
The ASX 200 moved less than 1 bp on 13 October 2026, the net of four sector moves that each ran between 1% and 4.4%.
- Financials: +1.39%, worth about +46 bps on a weight of about 33%. CBA.AU +2.32%, NAB.AU +1.87%, WBC.AU +1.53% and ANZ.AU +1.27% took the financials index to its highest close since 7 September (Finimize).
- Materials: -2.03%, worth about -43 bps on a weight of about 21%. Iron ore producers and lithium names fell together: RIO.AU -2.40%, BHP.AU -1.84%, PLS.AU -8.61%.
- Information technology: -4.37%, worth about -13 bps on a weight of about 3%. The sector followed a 2.60% fall in the US SOXX semiconductor fund and a 5.92% fall in the KOSPI.
- Energy, utilities and staples: +1.22%, +1.80% and +1.31%, together worth about +11 bps. WDS.AU +1.86% and STO.AU +1.60% tracked December Brent near US$105.
Together, these four drivers account for about +1 bp against an index move of under +1 bp. The 76 to 136 split of advancers to decliners shows that most stocks fell while the large banks rose.
Session highlights
- 5.92% was the KOSPI's fall to 6,006.07, which triggered a trading curb. Samsung Electronics fell 7.68% and SK Hynix 10.47% after reports that CXMT had progressed on a denser memory design.
- MP1.AU -9.91%, NXT.AU -7.59% and SXE.AU -8.82% made data centre exposure the weakest group on the board, four sessions after Firmus withdrew its float on 9 October.
- PLS.AU -8.61%, CXO.AU -8.70%, MIN.AU -6.66% and IGO.AU -6.45% fell after Chinese lithium futures dropped on an EU move to cap Chinese hybrid vehicle imports (Kalkine, Market Index).
- 11:30 AEDT: the RBA minutes listed AI valuations as a global financial stability risk (Market Index). ABC reported about a 33% market-implied chance of a November rate rise.
- ORG.AU +2.76% after Origin delayed the closure of the Eraring power station by almost two years to 2029, following a grid reliability warning (Market Index).
Sector scorecard
- Best: Utilities (+1.80%)
- Worst: Information Technology (-4.37%)
- Dispersion (best minus worst): 6.17 pts
- Materials -2.03% and Resources -1.60%, with the All Ords Gold index -1.26% even as gold futures rose 0.52%
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| AGL.AU | +4.09% | Utilities led the sectors at +1.80% |
| BOQ.AU | +2.92% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| ORG.AU | +2.76% | Eraring closure pushed back to 2029 |
| CBA.AU | +2.32% | Largest bank weight; AGM on 14 October |
| BEN.AU | +2.22% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| SKS.AU | -20.53% | $6.89 against the $10.60 founder block price on 6 October |
| ELS.AU | -11.81% | Substantial holder exit filed 12 October |
| PYC.AU | -10.46% | Unannounced, likely flow-driven. |
| MP1.AU | -9.91% | Data centre names fell with the Asian chip sell-off |
| SXE.AU | -8.82% | Gave back Monday's +7.78% on the $112m Entire Operations deal |
Notable announcements
- SXE.AU: $112m acquisition of Entire Operations, announced Monday; the shares closed at $4.55, below Monday's $4.99 close.
- ORG.AU: Eraring power station to run until 2029, almost two years beyond the earlier closure date.
- CBA.AU: the Finance Sector Union said the bank will give its lowest-paid staff a 13% pay rise over three years, ahead of Wednesday's AGM (ABC).
At the AU close (16:15 AEDT)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (cash) | 7,807.24 | -0.06% | Monday US close; Dow +0.38%, Nasdaq -0.44% |
| STOXX 600 | 635.65 | +0.65% | Monday European close |
| Nikkei | 67,771.13 | -1.83% | Closed; chip names sold with Korea |
| KOSPI | 6,006.07 | -5.92% | Closed; trading curb on CXMT memory concern |
| Brent (Dec) | US$105.46 | -1.12% | Eased from a near one-month high on Gulf shipping attacks |
| Gold | US$4,212.2/oz | +0.52% | US Dollar Index -0.17% to 102.41 |
| AUD/USD | 0.6963 | +0.03% | Unchanged after the RBA minutes |
Next 24h catalysts (AEDT)
- Wed early AEDT: JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo third-quarter results in the US session
- Wed 14 Oct: CBA.AU annual general meeting
- Wed 23:30: US September CPI
- Thu 11:30: ABS Labour Force, September 2026
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