equities

Strong day for the ASX, private equity buys into Challenger, NSW lockdowns continue  Every sector barring energy and industrials finished higher on Wednesday, with the ASX 200 jumping 0.9%. Buy now pay later groups were among the top performers, with Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) and Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) adding 6.5% and 4.5%, respectively. Challenger Financial Group (ASX: CGF) was the…

ASX sinks, RBA’s taper tantrum, Lew hits Myer again The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) closed around its lows on a busy Tuesday with the long-awaited monetary policy decision released at 2pm sending the market into negative territory. Every sector barring energy, which is benefitting from an OPEC impasse, finished lower with bond proxies including communications and healthcare…

US Independence Day, mixed fortunes on the ASX, Sydney Airport takeover bid It was a rough start to the week for the ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) which opened as much as 1% higher before finishing broadly flat. Most sectors closed lower, IT and retailers were down around 1% with no overseas lead due to the US Independence Day holiday….

ASX fades to small gain, 24% return for the financial year, Telstra’s buyback surprise The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) managed to finish the financial year on a positive note, adding 0.2% on Wednesday with the communications sector the biggest contributor, up 2.7%. The result took the quarterly return to 7.7% and the financial year to 24%, the…

Late comeback delivers, energy in the red, dividends hit real estate, CKF falls on earnings The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) staged a remarkable recovery, managing a flat day despite falling as much as 0.9% on Tuesday morning. Energy, materials, and utilities were amongst the weakest performers, with a raft of dividend payments pulling the real estate sector…

ASX fights back, COVID winners back as lockdowns extended, oil at three-year high The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) overcame a negative lead to finished broadly flat on Monday. COVID-19 outbreaks in almost every state barring Victoria have sent the market back into the realm of 2020’s top trades. On the one hand, travel and tourism-facing stocks suffered,…

Another winning day despite Sydney lockdown, Boral offer increased, US infrastructure boosts commodities The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) delivered another strong day, finishing 0.5% as it followed a strong US lead. This time it was news of President Biden receiving approval for his infrastructure package, which pushed the materials sector 1% higher. Every sector barring consumer staples (-0.8%) and…

ASX falls as Afterpay spikes, Woolworths’ spin-off, retailers rally The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) fell 0.3%, the second straight day of losses, with consumer staples (+1.9%) and IT (+2.1%) the only real winners. The majority of the selling pressure came from healthcare and energy, falling 1.8% and 1.2% respectively, with continued weakness in CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) dragging the…

Strongest day in four months, Fed backs off, lithium miners rally The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) experienced its best session in four months, adding 1.5% on Tuesday, all but erasing Monday’s losses. Every sector but healthcare finished higher, with real estate and energy the biggest beneficiaries adding 2.2% respectively. The positive sentiment came from Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s written…

ASX dragged down by US sell off, CBA sells general insurance arm, Boral out of the US The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) followed global markets lower to begin the week, falling 1.8% after being as much as 2% lower during the session. Among the most significant detractors was the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), with Australia’s largest company…