ASX briefing archive
Browse past morning, afternoon and weekend briefings, newest dates first.
Showing dates 141–160 of 167
Friday 22 May 2026
ASX 200 set to open 0.5% higher as jobs shock cools RBA hike bets; Nvidia blowout leaves tech flat
SPI futures point to a 0.5% higher ASX open on Friday. Wall Street's Dow rose 0.55% but the Nasdaq closed flat after Nvidia's 85% revenue beat failed to extend the AI rally. Brent crude jumped 2% to US$104.66 on an Iran supply directive. Domestically, April unemployment jumped to 4.5%, the highest since November 2021, paring bets on further RBA hikes.
ASX 200 hits a 5-day high as miners and uranium lead, classifieds slump — 22 May 2026
The ASX 200 closed +0.41% at 8,657 on 22 May 2026, a 5-day high, as Materials (+1.27%) and a sharp uranium rally (LOT.AU +10.66%, PDN.AU +5.93%) led. Guzman y Gomez jumped 9.57% on its US exit. Communication Services (-1.86%) lagged as Seek, REA Group and CAR Group de-rated.
Thursday 21 May 2026
ASX 200 set to open higher after Wall Street rally and a 5% oil slide; April jobs data due — 21 May 2026
US stocks rallied overnight — S&P 500 +1.08%, Nasdaq +1.54%, Dow +1.31% to 50,009 — as crude fell more than 5% on optimism over Iran negotiations and the VIX dropped to 17.44. Nvidia beat and raised but slipped about 2.5% after hours. SPI 200 futures rose about 1% to near 8,560, pointing to a higher ASX open after Wednesday's 1.26% fall, with April labour force data due at 11:30 AEST.
ASX 200 climbs 1.47% to 8,622 as weak jobs data trims RBA hike bets — 21 May 2026
The S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.47% to 8,621.7 on 21 May 2026, its best session in weeks, after April unemployment climbed to 4.5% and pared back RBA rate-hike expectations. Rare earths, lithium and copper miners rose 5–10% while energy fell on an overnight crude slide. EchoIQ led at +14.7%; Catapult extended a record-result surge.
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Wall Street's third straight loss; 30-year yields at 19-year high — ASX into a cautious open
Wall Street closed lower for a third straight session: S&P 500 -0.67% at 7,353.61, Nasdaq -0.84%, Dow -0.65%. The 30-year Treasury yield touched 5.19%, a 19-year high; the 10-year hit 4.687%. Trump postponed the planned Iran strike at Gulf allies' request; Brent eased to US$111. SGX iron ore sits near US$111.50/t and AUD/USD at 0.7109 is the steepest single-session move since the 5 May RBA hike to 4.35%. RBA Board minutes are due at 11:30 AEST and Nvidia Q1 FY27 reports after the US close tonight.
ASX 200 falls 1.3% to a 20-day low as banks, gold and Brambles drag
The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 108 points (−1.26%) to 8,496.6 on 20 May 2026, a 20-day low, with roughly 146 of 200 names lower. Banks, gold miners and Brambles led the falls as US bond yields climbed; Technology One (+7.34%) and lithium names were the standout gains.
Tuesday 19 May 2026
ASX 200 set to bounce 1.1% after Monday's 1.5% slide; Wall St mixed and oil holds above US$100
SPI 200 futures imply the ASX 200 opening +95 points (+1.1%) higher at ~8,600, recovering part of Monday's 125.5-point (-1.5%) slide to 8,505.30. Overnight Wall Street was mixed: Dow +0.32%, S&P 500 -0.07%, Nasdaq -0.51% on memory-chip weakness, US 10Y yield at 4.63%. Brent above US$109 and gold at US$4,570 support energy and gold miners; iron ore near US$110/t keeps materials watchful after Monday's BHP.AU -2.6%, RIO.AU -3.2% sell-off. RBA May Meeting Minutes due 11:30 AEST.
ASX 200 +1.17% to 8,604.7 as Trump pauses Iran strike — banks, staples rally; lithium and rare earths dumped
ASX 200 +1.17% to 8,604.7 after Trump postponed a planned Iran strike at the request of Saudi/Qatar/UAE leaders. Banks, consumer staples and healthcare led; AU VIX collapsed -5.66% to 13.43. Lithium and rare earths sold heavily as US/China rare-earth truce talks trimmed the non-China supply premium investors had been paying.
Monday 18 May 2026
Hormuz oil shock hits Wall Street as ASX opens defensive
Friday saw S&P 500 -1.24% to 7,408.50, Nasdaq -1.54%, Dow -537 points, VIX +6.78% to 18.43, and the US 10-year Treasury yield +10 bps to 4.60% as Trump rejected an Iran-easing framework and the still-closed Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent +3.35% to US$109.26. Gold -2.63%, copper -4.79%, AUD/USD -1.04% to 0.7148. ASX 200 last closed at 8,640.7; US futures kept selling Sunday evening AEST (ES -1.24%, NQ -1.54%).
ASX 200 -1.45% to 8,505 — Brambles guidance cut, Tuas crashes 63% on Singapore probe
ASX 200 fell 1.45% to 8,505.3 on 18 May 2026 — lowest close since early April. Brambles (BXB) cut FY26 underlying-profit-growth guidance to +3-5% (from +8-11%) and added a US$400m buyback, sending shares -20.23%. Tuas (TUA) crashed 62.79% after Singapore IMDA suspended its M1 acquisition review, three days before the 21 May long-stop. China April data missed badly (industrial output +4.1%, retail sales +0.2%), hitting RIO -3.63%, BHP -2.80%, FMG -2.88%. AU VIX up 11.68%; energy bid on Brent +1.18%.
Saturday 16 May 2026
ASX 200 ends week down 1.3% as CBA crashes 10%; miners rally on oil and copper
ASX 200 closed Friday at 8,631, down 1.3% on the week. CBA had its worst single session in 34 years (-10.4% Wednesday) on a soft Q3 update; CSL plunged 18% on FY26 guidance cut and a US$5bn Vifor impairment. Miners and energy rallied as Brent jumped 7.9% to US$109 and copper held multi-month highs. Friday's US session shed 1.2% on inflation fears.
Friday 15 May 2026
ASX morning: Wall Street records, Cisco +13%, SPI futures lead 30 points above Thursday's 8,640.7 close
S&P 500 +0.77% to 7,501.24 (first close above 7,500), NASDAQ +0.88%, Dow +0.75% — records across the board on a Cisco-led tech rally and Trump-Xi summit progress. SPI 200 futures last near 8,670 vs Thursday's 8,640.7 close. Brent +0.79% to US$106.55, AUD/USD -0.48% to 0.7224, gold -0.64%. Trump-Xi summit day two continues.
ASX 200 fades 0.11% as XRO rebounds 8% while miners slip on gold and copper
ASX 200 closed at 8,630.8 on Friday 15 May 2026, down 9.9 points or 0.11%, after an 81-point intraday range. XRO.AU rebounded +8.13% to $79.67 reversing Thursday's 11.6% post-FY26-result slide, with share buyback flagged for FY28. CBA.AU led the banks +1.91% to $159.40; STO.AU and WDS.AU joined the green on Brent +1.52%. Iron-ore miners and lithium names dragged: BHP.AU -2.58%, RIO.AU -3.24%, PLS.AU -5.80%. Gold -2.31% to US$4,577 and copper -3.78% as AUD/USD slid 0.75% to 0.7169.
Thursday 14 May 2026
Wall Street tech sets fresh records, SPI -0.3% into Thursday open
S&P 500 closed at 7,444.25 (+0.58%) and the Nasdaq at 26,402.34 (+1.20%) on 13 May 2026 — both record highs — after April US PPI printed +1.4% MoM, the biggest monthly increase since March 2022. GOOGL.US +3.94% was the largest Magnificent-7 move; MSFT.US -0.63% the lone laggard. SPI futures point to a -0.3% ASX 200 open. Gold US$4,697.1/oz (+0.22%), iron ore (SGX IODEX) US$111.50/t (-0.45%), AUD/USD 0.7261 (+0.25%).
ASX 200 flat as MP1.AU +27.72% offsets XRO.AU drop
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,640.7 on Thursday 14 May 2026, up 10.3 points (+0.12%) after a results-heavy session. Megaport (MP1.AU) jumped 27.72% on A$254 million of contract wins at its Latitude.sh GPU unit, while Xero (XRO.AU) fell 9.04% as FY26 NPAT dropped 27% despite revenue +31%. GrainCorp (GNC.AU) fell 13.50% on 1H26 EBITDA -33%. AU VIX -3.71% to 12.68.
Wednesday 13 May 2026
ASX morning brief, 13 May 2026 — hot US CPI sinks chips; the ASX prices Chalmers' Budget
Wall Street faded Monday's record after a hot US April CPI of 3.8% — the fastest in three years — pushed crude above US$100 and triggered a semiconductor sell-off led by QCOM.US (-11.5%, its worst session since 2020). SPI futures point to a 7-point ASX dip at the open, where the first order of business is Tuesday night's Federal Budget: negative-gearing limits, a trimmed CGT discount, discretionary-trust reforms and a $14.8bn fuel-security package. Iron ore above US$110/t and US$102 crude give miners and energy more support; banks and listed property face the policy drag.
ASX 200 -0.46% to 8,630 — CBA.AU -10% drags banks, ALL.AU +13% on HY26 leads materials offset
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,630.4 on Wednesday 13 May 2026, down 40.3 points or 0.46%. CBA.AU fell 10.43% (worst session since COVID) after a Q3 Pillar 3 update showed cash NPAT A$2.7bn, -1% vs H1 quarterly average; WBC.AU, ANZ.AU and NAB.AU dragged in sympathy. ALL.AU surged 13.28% on HY26 (19% EPS growth, A$1bn buyback extension). Materials offset the bank rout: BHP.AU +2.91% to $61.52 fresh record, FMG.AU +2.78%, S32.AU +3.22%, RIO.AU +1.93%. PDN.AU -12.05% on its own FY26 guidance miss.
Tuesday 12 May 2026
S&P 500 closes at 7,412.84 record; ASX heads into Budget night after CSL's 16% rout
Wall Street closed at fresh records on 11 May 2026 (S&P 500 7,412.84 +0.19%, Nasdaq 26,274.13 +0.10%, Dow 49,704.47 +0.19%) but VIX rose 6.92% to 18.38. Gold extended to US$4,749.90/oz (+0.45%) and Brent held US$104.30 (+0.09%). Locally, CSL.AU fell 15.96% to A$100.75 — its biggest one-day decline on record — after cutting FY26 NPAT guidance to US$3.1bn and flagging US$5bn in impairments. ASX 200 closed -0.49% at 8,701.80; SPI 200 June futures -0.11% at 8,723 ahead of Treasurer Chalmers' Budget 2026-27 speech tonight.
ASX 200 -0.36% to 8,670.7 as miners offset a tech, bank and healthcare slide; CSL slips below A$100
The S&P/ASX 200 closed 8,670.7 on 12 May 2026, down 0.36% — a second straight fall. Big miners rallied 2-4% (BHP.AU +2.49%, RIO.AU +3.13%, NEM.AU +4.37%, NST.AU +3.23%) but a tech selloff (WTC.AU -5.87%, SDR.AU -6.03%), uniform bank weakness (CBA.AU -1.40%, NAB.AU -2.09%, ANZ.AU -2.12%) and a second health-care fall (CSL.AU -2.18% to A$98.55) dragged. Life360 (360.AU) -10.89% on trimmed FY26 user guidance; DroneShield (DRO.AU) -9.92% on an ASIC notice. Brent +2.51% to US$106.83 after Trump called the Iran ceasefire 'unbelievably weak'; the close came ahead of tonight's federal budget.
Monday 11 May 2026
ASX set for softer open despite Wall Street tech surge — Monday 11 May 2026
Wall Street closed at fresh records Friday on a +115k US April nonfarm payrolls print and an AI-memory rally led by MU.US +15.51% and SNDK.US +16.60%. The ASX 200 finished -1.5% at 8,744.4 on a bank-led decline after NAB.AU's 2026 half-year result. SPI 200 futures point to a -0.5% Monday open with Brent at US$101.29, gold US$4,730.70/oz, AUD/USD 0.7230.
ASX 200 closes -0.49% as CSL crash drags Healthcare -6.47% — Monday 11 May 2026
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,701.8 on 11 May 2026, down 42.6 points (-0.49%), with CSL.AX -15.96% dominating the session after the interim CEO's 90-day review cut FY26 guidance and flagged a US$5bn non-cash impairment including CSL Vifor. Healthcare -6.47% was the worst sector; Energy +1.09% led on a uranium rally (PDN.AX +5.76%, SLX.AX +5.31%, DYL.AX +4.62%) and Brent +3.45% to US$104.78.
Friday 8 May 2026
ASX 200 SPI futures -1.5% as crude rebounds and US stocks fade record highs
S&P/ASX 200 SPI futures point to a 1.5% lower open Friday after Wall Street pulled back from Wednesday's record close. S&P 500 -0.38% to 7,337.11; Brent crude +2.43% to US$102.49 on stalled Iran-deal progress; AUD/USD -0.52% to 0.7208 hands USD-earners more AUD per dollar of offshore revenue. Energy -1.95% led US sector losses, leaving STO.AU, WDS.AU and BPT.AU with cross-cutting cues into the open.
ASX 200 -1.51% to 8,744 — biggest fall in 7 weeks as Tabcorp slides 14% on AUSTRAC probe
ASX 200 closed -1.51% at 8,744.4 on 8 May 2026, the biggest single-session fall in 7 weeks. Tabcorp (TAH.AU -14.20%) led declines on a Day-2 AUSTRAC enforcement-probe selloff; the big-4 banks slid 1.2-3.8% after this week's HY26 reporting cycle. Light & Wonder (LNW.AU +11.67%) was the standout gainer, bouncing off Thursday's earnings reaction. AU VIX +8.11% to 13.02 — the cleanest single-day fear-gauge spike since March.
Thursday 7 May 2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
ASX morning brief, 6 May 2026: SPI +0.45% on US records, oil dump flips Tuesday's leaders
S&P 500 closed at a record 7,259.22 (+0.81%) and SPI futures point +0.45% higher into the AU open, but the oil dump (-3.9% WTI) flips yesterday's energy outperformers WDS.AU and BPT.AU. The RBA's 25bp hike to 4.35% on a split 8-1 vote remains the dominant local catalyst.
ASX 200 +1.30% to 8,793.6 as IFT lands record 555MW data-centre deal
The ASX 200 closed at 8,793.6 (+1.30%) on Wednesday 6 May 2026 as digital-infrastructure names dominated: IFT.AU +14.95% on a record 555MW CDC contract, DGT.AU +25.00% on a US$750m Chicago data-centre sale, and HMC.AU +17.06% on a Macquarie Conference business update. Lithium and gold miners reinforced the rally; Energy slid as Brent fell 3.44% to US$106.09.
Tuesday 5 May 2026
ASX braces for RBA call as Dow -557 on Iran-UAE strikes
ASX 200 SPI futures point -0.75% (-66 pts) lower into Tuesday's RBA decision (86% market-implied probability of a 25bp hike to 4.35%), after Wall Street closed lower on a Middle East risk bid. Dow led declines at -1.13% (-557 pts) on reports of Iranian strikes on a US patrol boat and a UAE missile intercept; Materials -1.62% and Industrials -1.02% drove the US session. Gold held above US$4,500 despite VIX +7.65% to 18.29.
RBA hikes 25 bp to 4.35% — ASX 200 closes -0.19% at 8,680.5 as banks split, Energy +0.89% leads sectors
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,680.5 on 5 May 2026, down 16.6 points or 0.19%, after the RBA Monetary Policy Board lifted the cash rate target by 25 bps to 4.35% in an 8-1 vote — the third hike of 2026. Energy (XEJ) +0.89% led sectors as Brent held US$113.40, while Materials (-0.55%) and Financials (-0.50%) capped the index. VNT.AU jumped +5.75% on Defence contract execution; IEL.AU -7.05% on continued profit-warning fallout.
Monday 4 May 2026
US records flow into ASX open as RBA decision looms (Mon 4 May 2026)
US indices closed Friday at fresh records — S&P 500 +0.29%, NASDAQ +0.89% (first close above 25,000) — though Dow lagged at -0.31%. Brent above US$111 on tenth-week Strait of Hormuz closure. ASX 200 closed Friday 8,729.8 (+0.74%). RBA cash rate decision Tuesday 5 May 14:30 AEST is the dominant local catalyst; CBA, NAB and Westpac economists call a 25bp hike to 4.35% on AU CPI 4.6%.
ASX 200 closes 8,697 (-0.4%) — Accent -13% on ASIC probe, a2 Milk -10% on US recall
ASX 200 finished 32.7 points lower at 8,697.1 (-0.37%). Idiosyncratic blow-ups dominated: AX1.AU -12.90% on an ASIC probe of CEO and NED share trading, A2M.AU -9.90% on a US infant-formula recall, ING.AU -4.40% after a Bell Potter downgrade. NAB.AU -1.58% post 1H26 cash earnings of A$3,558m (A$2.64bn after the A$949m software policy hit). Tech-data complex offset some damage: XRO.AU +2.92%, REA.AU +2.78%, PME.AU +1.84%. Lithium-complex drawdown — LTR.AU -8.33%, ARU.AU -6.94%, CXO.AU -3.08%. RBA decision tomorrow at 14:30 AEST.
Friday 1 May 2026
Wall Street caps best month since 2020; ASX opens +1% as RBA call looms
Overnight US gains carried into the AU open: S&P 500 +1.02% to a first-ever close above 7,200, Dow +1.62% within 350 points of 50,000, Apple Q2 revenue $111.2B after the bell. Iron ore flat at US$107.18/t, Brent +1.16% at US$111.68. Markets price a 60-70% chance of a +25bp RBA hike on Tuesday 6 May.
ASX 200 +0.74% to 8,729.8 as miners lead; LTR.AU +12.34% caps lithium rally
S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,729.8 on 1 May 2026, +64 points (+0.74%); All Ords +0.75% to 8,954.7. LTR.AU +12.34% led a lithium rally (EUR.AU +8.86%, WC8.AU +5.13%); uranium followed (NXG.AU +6.31%, PDN.AU +3.91%, BMN.AU +3.73%). ANZ.AU -2.84% led bank weakness as the CEO flagged Iran escalation risk. Healthcare split COH.AU +5.07% vs RMD.AU -3.53% on the Q3 FY26 print. ASX VIX -5.86% to 12.36 into Tuesday's RBA call (~62% +25bp priced).
Thursday 30 April 2026
ASX faces oil-shock open after Brent +1.33% close, AUD slips to 0.7117
Brent settled at US$111.91 (+1.33%) on 29 April after rallying from a US$103.27 intraday low; AUD/USD slid to 0.7117 (-0.92%) and gold dropped to US$4,557.30/oz (-1.11%). The Dow lost 280 points (-0.57%) and the VIX jumped to 18.81 (+5.50%) into Powell's final FOMC and four mega-cap reports. ASX 200 closed Wednesday at 8,687 (-0.27%).
ASX 200 close 30 April 2026: gold miners drive 8th down day, Woolworths -7.78% on Q3 trim
The S&P/ASX 200 fell 21.2 points (-0.24%) to 8,665.8 on 30 April 2026, an eighth consecutive losing session. Gold miners led the decline as spot gold pulled back to a one-month low — Westgold -9.32%, Genesis Minerals -8.50%, Ramelius -6.41%, Evolution -5.33%. Woolworths -7.78% after a Q3 trading update trimmed FY26 Australian Food EBIT guidance from the top of its mid-to-high-single-digit range. Financials and healthcare names provided offset, with ASX Ltd +5.10% and Cochlear +4.44%.
Wednesday 29 April 2026
ASX 200 set to open lower as Wall Street wobbles on AI concerns; March CPI in focus
ASX 200 futures point -0.64% into the open after a chip-led pullback on Wall Street: Nasdaq -0.90%, S&P 500 -0.49%. Domestic focus turns to the ABS March quarterly CPI at 11:30 AEST, with February's monthly read at 3.70%. Mega-cap tech earnings (Meta, Alphabet) land overnight US time.
ASX 200 holds at 8,687 as CPI shock fails to break the index; Codan +15.45% on FY26 upgrade
The S&P/ASX 200 finished at 8,687 down 23.7 points (-0.27%) on 29 April 2026 after Q1 headline CPI printed at 4.6% YoY against a trimmed-mean read of 3.3%. Codan (CDA.AX) jumped 15.45% on a FY26 upgrade with EBIT and NPAT both flagged up more than 60%. Utilities led sectors (+2.18%) while Big-4 banks, healthcare and tech sold.
Tuesday 28 April 2026
ASX 28 April 2026: US records, CPI Wed, Mag 7 earnings
Wall Street closed at fresh records on 27 April 2026 — S&P 500 +0.12% to 7,173.91 and Nasdaq +0.20% to 24,887.10 — but Mag 7 split (NVDA.US +4.01%, MU.US +5.60% versus AAPL.US -1.27%, AMZN.US -1.09%) tempers the read into earnings. AUD/USD +0.52% to 0.7191; VIX -3.69% to 18.02. AU traders face two pivotal catalysts: Wednesday 11:30 AEST CPI (May RBA hike trigger) and Wed/Thu Mag 7 earnings from MSFT, META, GOOGL, AMZN, AAPL.
ASX 28 April 2026: 8,710.7 close on sixth straight slide; EUR.AU +46% on $835M takeover, energy lone positive sector
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,710.7 on 28 April 2026, down 0.64% for a sixth straight session and a three-week low. Energy was the only positive sector as Brent rose 2.71% to US$111 on Iran tensions, while gold fell 1.85% pulling the All-Ords Gold Index down 2.1%. EUR.AU jumped 45.61% on an $835m takeover bid from Critical Metals (NASDAQ:CRML); PNR.AU fell 11.29% on a weather-disrupted Q3 production print.