Monday 30th March 2026
Daily Market Update: 30 March 2026
Australian market overview
Australian equities ended a volatile week on a firmer footing overall, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) snapping a three-week losing streak despite easing 9.40 points on Friday to 8,516.30. The benchmark still rose 1 per cent across the week, its first weekly advance since the Iran war began on February 28, even as investors continued to assess conflicting signals around a possible Middle East peace deal. Sentiment remained fragile, with the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz supporting oil prices, lifting inflation concerns and keeping markets sensitive to any sign of either de-escalation or further disruption.
Australian sector movers
Energy stocks remained the standout beneficiaries of the conflict-driven rise in crude prices, with Santos Limited (ASX: STO) up 1.3 per cent, Ampol Limited (ASX: ALD) gaining 2 per cent and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) adding 0.3 per cent, despite production being halted at North West Shelf due to Tropical Cyclone Narelle. Whitehaven Coal Limited (ASX: WHC) surged 4.9 per cent after an upgrade from UBS Group AG (SWX: UBSG), while materials stocks also provided support as BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP), Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO), Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) and IGO Limited (ASX: IGO) all advanced. By contrast, technology and financial stocks lagged, with NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) dropping 7.9 per cent, Codan Limited (ASX: CDA) falling 5.9 per cent, National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) losing 1.3 per cent and Macquarie Group Limited (ASX: MQG) retreating 2.2 per cent. Elsewhere, BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) slipped 0.4 per cent, ANZ Group Holdings Limited (ASX: ANZ) fell 0.4 per cent and Suncorp Group Limited (ASX: SUN) edged 0.1 per cent higher.
Global markets
United States equities closed sharply lower as escalating Middle East tensions and higher energy costs intensified risk aversion across global markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX: .DJI) fell 1.4 per cent and moved more than 10 per cent below its recent high, while the Nasdaq Composite Index (INDEXNASDAQ: .IXIC) dropped 1.9 per cent and the S&P 500 Index (INDEXSP: .INX) lost 1.4 per cent. Technology names remained under pressure, with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) down 2.2 per cent, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) off 2.5 per cent, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) lower by 2.5 per cent and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) shedding 4 per cent. Financial stocks also weakened, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) down 3 per cent and Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) losing 3.3 per cent, while Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) rose 3.5 per cent as surging oil prices reinforced stagflation concerns and expectations of a fifth consecutive weekly decline.
| Australian Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| ASX 200 | -0.1 | 1.0 | -6.8 | -1.7 | 10.2 |
| Financials | -0.2 | -0.6 | -4.4 | 2.6 | 16.7 |
| Resources | -0.1 | 3.6 | -9.5 | 7.0 | 38.8 |
| Information Technology | -2.0 | -2.1 | -11.2 | -25.5 | -24.6 |
| Global Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| US 500 | -1.7 | 1.2 | -2.9 | -9.0 | 13.5 |
| Europe | 0.0 | 3.2 | -7.4 | -5.8 | 5.5 |
| Japan | 1.4 | 2.2 | -6.9 | 0.9 | 15.6 |
| China top 50 | 1.1 | -0.3 | -3.0 | -11.0 | -9.0 |
| India top 50 | -0.7 | 2.1 | -6.1 | -15.3 | -17.3 |
| Fixed Interest | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Australian Treasury Bond | -0.5 | -0.2 | -2.1 | -1.0 | 0.5 |
| Australian Corporate Bond | -0.4 | -0.2 | -2.1 | -1.0 | 1.1 |
| US Treasury | -0.5 | -0.9 | -2.3 | -0.7 | 0.8 |
| Cash | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 3.9 |
| Commodities & Crypto | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Gold | -1.0 | -0.6 | -12.0 | -3.5 | 31.7 |
| Silver | -1.7 | -5.4 | -22.9 | -9.6 | 77.4 |
| Crude Oil | 1.9 | -3.8 | 45.2 | 73.0 | 56.3 |
| Bitcoin | -2.3 | -3.2 | 3.6 | -25.9 | -28.2 |
