The Australian Market Rebounds
The S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) bounced 0.3 per cent, or 22.2 points, to close at 8,969.8, breaking its three‑day losing streak and edging nearer to its record close of 9,019.10 set on August 21. The All Ordinaries also rose by 0.3 per cent. Strength in the materials sector led gains, helping offset weakness in banks and technology stocks. Top copper miners surged after the red metal hit a 14‑month peak – Capstone added 7.6 per cent, Ero Copper rose 7.2 per cent, Sandfire Resources gained 5.3 per cent, while heavyweight miners BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) rose 2.9 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively.
In contrast, gold and silver miners broadly slipped as investors locked in profits – Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) lost 0.5 per cent, Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) fell 0.7 per cent, and Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) dropped 3.7 per cent. Among banks, only ANZ Banking Group Limited (ASX: ANZ) ended higher (up 1.3 per cent), while National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) all posted declines. In corporate news, Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) jumped 5.3 per cent on a US deal, and Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: BDR) surged 8.6 per cent on a French supply agreement.
U.S. banks pull‑back U.S. equities slipped as investors paused after recent gains, with the S&P 500 (NYSE: SPX) falling 0.3 per cent, the Nasdaq‑100 (Nasdaq: NDX) down 0.1 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropping 243 points. Market sentiment was dampened by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which is delaying key economic data and increasing uncertainty. Heavyweights Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL), Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) each lost more than 0.7 per cent. By contrast, PepsiCo Inc. (Nasdaq: PEP) gained 4.2 per cent after a strong earnings report, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) rose 4.3 per cent on positive forecasts, NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) climbed 1.8 per cent following approval for chip exports to the UAE, and Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq: COST) advanced 3.1 per cent. Markets remain focused on expectations of 25 basis point cuts from the Federal Reserve (Fed) in October and December amid signs of cooling labour dynamics.
| Australian Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| ASX 200 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 6.2 | 12.6 |
| Financials | -0.6 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 22.0 |
| Resources | 1.7 | 0.9 | 6.1 | 20.9 | 13.1 |
| Information Technology | -0.2 | -1.2 | -0.4 | 3.7 | 18.6 |
| Global Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| US 500 | -0.3 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 20.6 |
| Europe | -0.1 | 0.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 22.3 |
| Japan | -0.5 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 10.7 | 20.2 |
| China top 50 | 0.8 | -2.1 | 3.1 | 12.5 | 29.9 |
| India top 50 | -0.9 | 0.4 | -0.2 | -5.8 | -3.4 |
| Fixed Interest | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Australian Treasury Bond | 0.2 | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.9 | 4.2 |
| Australian Corporate Bond | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 5.2 |
| US Treasury | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Cash | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 4.2 |
| Commodities & Crypto | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Gold | -0.4 | 4.2 | 10.8 | 21.4 | 56.3 |
| Silver | 0.4 | 3.5 | 19.0 | 32.7 | 62.4 |
| Crude Oil | 3.4 | 0.5 | -4.4 | -5.8 | |
| Bitcoin | -0.1 | 2.4 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 104.3 |