Monday 14th April – ASX 200 kicks 100 points higher – Gold shines – Banks do well – Resources in Demand. | Beeks Downunder-Because not all financial news is boring!

It was a solid start to the week, with the ASX 200 up 102 points to 7749 (1.3%). Strong banks and resources are taking us up. The Big Bank Basket rallied to $248.77 (+1.6%). CBA was up 1.7%, and WBC was up 1.6%. Insurers also better with MQG flat as some downgrades coming through. REITs rallied hard, GMG up 2.4% and SCG up 1.8%. Industrials were better but lagged, WES up 1.1% and SGH up 2.7% with the supermarkets flat, retail rose, LOV up 2.4% and JBH rallying 2.4%. Travel stocks were a little better, tech doing well, WTC up 3.1% and XRO rising 2.3% with the All–Tech Index up 2.1%. TLS slipped a little. In resources, iron ore miners rose, BHP up 2.7%, RIO up 1.4% with the gold miners pushing up although gold saw some profit taking. NEM up 4.5% with EVN up 2.6%. MIN had a good day as some shorts covered again, PLS rallied 3.3% with IGO up 3.2%. Oil stocks inched up WDS up 1.1% and STO up 1.8% with uranium and coal stocks better, WHC up 4.8% and DYL up 3.9%. In corporate news, NEU jumped 21.1% on a positive end point for its Phase III trial. DEG up 1.6% as GOR will vote in favour of the NST deal. Nothing locally on the economic front. Asian markets better, Japan up 1.6%, HK up 2.1% and China 0.3% higher. 10-year yields steady around 4.41%.

HIGHLIGHTS

Winners: NEU, DRO, RPL, SDR, MIN, CU6, A4N
Losers: EBR, A2M, PGF, DGT, ANN, AMP
Positive Sectors: Banks. Miners. Oil and gas. Tech.
Negative Sectors: Supermarkets. TLS
ASX 200 Hi 7764 Lo 7666
Big Bank Basket: Rises to $248.77(+1.6%)
All-Tech Index: Up 2.1%
Gold: Falls to $5116
Bitcoin: Rises to US$84641
10-year yield rises to 4.41%.
AUD: Eases to 63.00c
Asian markets better, Japan up 1.7%, HK up 2% and China 0.3% higher.
Dow futures up 217 Nasdaq up 244

MARKET MOVERS

NEU +21.1% Phase III meets endpoint.
DRO +16.3% Asian orders.
RPL +14.1% oversold.
CU6 +8.1% bouncing off bottom.
PNV +6.3% short covering.
INR +12.0% development agreement with Esmeralda County.
TGP +11.5% off-market buy back booklet.
AZY +8.4% Minyari Dome PFS update.
EBR -17.2% FDA approvals.
PGF -2.5% NTA backing.
A2M -3.0% creamed.
Speculative Stock of the Day: EXR +35% Preparing the path to development. Management changes. OK volume.

ECONOMIC AND OTHER NEWS

UBS has revised its forecast for gold prices for the second time in the past week, insisting the trade is not yet “crowded”. UBS increased its 2026 average forecast by $US600 to $US3500 an ounce, just days after revising its 2025 average price forecast to $US3500.
China’s exports jumped more than expected in March. Exports jumped 12.4% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier. Imports fell 4.3% in March from a year earlier, compared with economists’ expectations of a 2% decline.
Singapore on Monday eased its monetary policy for the second straight time, as the city-state posted a lower-than-expected GDP growth of 3.8% for the first quarter, according to advance estimates.
Goldman Sachs is set to report first-quarter earnings before the bell on Monday. Analysts expect earnings per share of $12.35 and revenue of $14.81bn.
Japan should not intentionally sell its U.S. Treasury holdings in retaliation against tariffs levied by President Donald Trump, Japan’s ruling party’s policy chief said.
UK and EU close ranks on defence amid Trump turmoil.
Professors sue Trump administration over Harvard funding cuts.

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