markets

The local share market weakened again on Wednesday, with the All Ordinaries down 0.7 and the S&P/ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) falling 0.8 per cert as seven sectors fell by more than 1 per cent. The rare highlight was the energy sector, which gained 1 per cent on the back of the oil price surging above US$90…

Corporate profit growth is expected to moderate, especially in sectors focused on consumer sales, and mining companies have seen large downgrades. Meanwhile, markets are still not fully pricing in the high risk of recession, some analysts say.

True to form, US stocks are outperforming Aussie shares on the back of a resurgence in technology-related company valuations. Economists warn against straying from diversification, however, with Aussie miners still offering investors capital returns on top of an underlying hedge against a US downturn.

Dividend investing can be a good source of defensive income in volatile times, but changing fundamentals mean resources companies and banks may be the weaker play in 2023, with opportunities emerging beyond these traditional Australian dividend payers – although valuation will be key.

Rising iron ore prices helped mining heavyweights BHP Group, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals and Mineral Resources on Thursday, and in turn that helped to push the major indices higher. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Thursday up 3.8 points at 7,255.4, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 3.9 points to 7,460. Iron ore has risen 15 per cent since the start of 2023, on optimism…

Optimism for mining stocks battled a downturn in the big banks in deciding the direction for the Australian share market on Wednesday, with the banks prevailing just enough to see the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 close 6.8 points, or 0.1 per cent, lower at 7251.6, while the broader All Ordinaries Index retreated 1.9 points to 7456.1. The bullishness for the miners…

Australian retail sales rebounded in January as household spending defied inflation and higher borrowing costs, strengthening the case for the Reserve Bank to keep raising interest rates, and run a “higher for longer” rates scenario, taking its cue from its central bank peers in the US and Europe. Retail sales rose 1.9 per cent in January after…

BlackRock sent a shiver through the domestic ETF market, which has tripled in the last four years to around $25 billion, slashing prices for two if its core products.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 39.8 points, or 0.5 per cent on Thursday to 7490.3; while the broader All Ordinaries index dropped 44.7 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 7695.8. Energy was in the spotlight, with the Mike Cannon-Brookes-backed AGL Energy plunging 82 cents, or 10 per cent, to $7.12 after the company downgraded full-year earnings guidance, cut its dividend and reported…

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Wednesday advanced 26 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 7,530.1, while the broader All Ordinaries closed 27.4 points to the good, also 0.4 per cent, at 7,740.5. Goldminer Newcrest added another 65 cents, or 2.6 per cent, to $25.60, taking its gain to almost 14.5 per cent since it received a $24.5 billion takeover offer from US…