ASX 200 has started the week in a very positive fashion, up 55 points to 7476(0.8%) on the US market rally and stronger US futures. Banks leading the charge with CBA up 1.3% and NAB up 1.1% with the Big Bank Basket up %. REITs too in demand despite yields remaining around 4.25% in the 10-years. GMG leading with a 1.3% gain. Industrials also doing well, TLS up 0.8% and BXB rallying 1.8%. Consumer stocks also finding buyers, WOW up 1.4%, COL up 1.4% and QAN rallying 2.3%. Retailers and healthcare strong too. JBH up 1.5% and CSL improving 0.5%. Tech modestly higher, improviong as the day wore on, the All-Tech Index up 0.9% with WTC up 0.9% and XRO up 0.6%. A very different story in resources, iron ore stocks barely moving, BHP up slightly, by 0.3%, but lithium stocks smashed on a funding update from LTR which dropped 21.3% on the news, PLS smashed too down 4.0% and LYC with a production report this morning fell 1.3%. MIN is also under serious pressure, falling 9.6% on metal woes and mining services, which could be affected by recent nickel project shutdowns due to low prices. Coal stocks also under pressure, WHC down 2.1%. Gold stocks steady but uninspiring. In company news, S32 fell 2.8% on a production downgrade, CHN is cutting costs by 40% dropping 4.7%, ZIP jumped 16.5% on a very positive quarter and APX lost a meaningful customer in Google and a meaningful fall down 40.2%. Nothing on the economic front today. In Asia, Japan kicks again up 1.3%, China unchanged and HK down 2%. 10-year yields eased back to 4.23%.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Winners: ZIP, PNV, A2M, 360, IEL, MGH
- Losers: LTR, WC8, LRS, MIN, LTM, DVP, DYL
- Positive sectors: Banks. Financials. Industrials. Tech. Retail.
- Negative sectors: Lithium. Base metals. Critical metals.
- ASX 200 Hi 7483 Lo 7428
- Big Bank Basket: Higher at $196.38 up 1.3%
- All-Tech Index: Up 0.9%.
- Gold: Steady at $3072
- Bitcoin: Settles higher at US$41290.
- 10-year slips back to 4.23%
- AUD: Better at 65.91c
- Asian markets: Japan kicks again up 1.3%, China unchanged and HK down 2%
- Dow Futures up 58 Nasdaq up 113.
MAJOR MOVERS
- ZIP +16.5% quarterly update cheers.
- PNV +9.8% record sales send global revenue up 66%.
- A2M +6.3% cream rising.
- ANG +14.3% upgrades guidance.
- ORR +4.7% takeover bid from PRU at 55c.
- WGN +8.6% trading update.
- ART +5.0% takeover speculation.
- COE -24.1% remediation costs rise.
- LTR -21.3% funding gets pulled.
- WC8 -17.0% good volume slip.
- LRS -15.0% lithium stocks depressed.
- MIN -9.6% lithium woes.
- LTM -7.3% sinking.
- JDO -5.6% broker downgrade.
- DYL -5.8% run ends.
- AGY -16.4% lithium depressed.
- CKA -12.5% BBN coal mines update.
- Speculative Stock of the Day: Nothing on any volume today.
COMPANY NEWS
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ECONOMIC AND OTHER HEADLINES
- The PBoC left its lending benchmark rates unchanged at a monthly fixing today. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.45%, and the five-year LPR was unchanged at 4.20%.
- Gold reserves for China grew to 2,235t last year as investors globally rushed to the safe-haven metal, sending prices to record highs, the World Gold Council reported.
- Macquarie raises record €8bn for Europe infrastructure fund.
- Nikkei 225 hits 33-year high.
And finally…..


The ex said she wants all her Buddy Holly records back
Well that’ll be the day, I said
Clarence
XXXXX