The ASX 200 started the week giving back 80 points to 8158 (1%) as the bank rally faded post WBC results. Slightly underwhelming and lack of growth to blame. WBC fell 3.0% taking CBA down 1.6% and the Big Bank Basket down to $265.29 (1.7%). MQG followed the other lower down 1.8% ahead of numbers Friday. Other financials gave up early gains, with RPL and XYZ, two of the only winners. REITs also slipped led by GMG down 2.2% and MGR off 0.9% with industrials also weaker. Retail sagged, PMV down 3.4% and APE off 3.1% with MYR down 3.5%. Defensives such as TLS slid 1.1% and REA down 1.8%. Resources held up better with BHP down only 0.9% and RIO off 0.9% despite rising Iron ore prices in Singapore. Gold miners were mixed, GOR jumped 9.4% on the takeover by Goldfields, NST up 0.4% and EVN up 2.1% with BGL rallying 2.2%. Lithium stocks were flat, LYC up 1.8% and oil and gas stocks crumbling in the face of oils fall. WDS down 3.6% and STO off 4.0%. Uranium stocks mixed, NXG down 4.6% and BOE up 0.8%. In corporate news, TYR pulled out of SMP talks, PLY dumped after CEO retires wounded. RWC warned on tariffs and fell 2.4% with EDV forecasting flat to modest retail sales growth. Nothing on the economic front. In Asia, China and Japan closed for a holiday. 10-year yields pushing higher to 4.27%.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Winners: GOR, PYC, XYZ, RPL, HLS, ABG
- Losers: BRN, SDR, MLX, NXL, CU6, SMR
- Positive Sectors: None.
- Negative Sectors: Banks. Tech. Iron ore.
- ASX 200 Hi 8241 Lo 8158
- Big Bank Basket: Lower at $265.29 (-1.7%)
- All-Tech Index: Down 1.1%
- Gold: Falls to $5029
- Bitcoin: Falls to US$94445
- 10-year yield rises to 4.27%.
- AUD: Rises to 64.73c
- Asian markets: Japan and China closed for a holiday.
- Dow futures down 267 Nadaq down 127
MARKET MOVERS
- GOR +9.4% Goldfields launches 340c bid.
- XYZ +5.1% oversold bounce.
- GDG +3.9% nice bounce.
- RPL +4.4% Charlie fires up the base.
- LYC +1.8% bargain hunters.
- QAN +0.8% LW article. Oil price helps.
- SMP +21.7% TYR leaves game.
- SYR +16.3% Balama update.
- IMM +13.0% trial results.
- MLX -8.0% tin prices.
- BPT -3.8% oil price collapse.
- CSC -5.0% AGM results.
- RXL -16.7% insto placement.
- DUG -4.6% back in the hole.
- C79 -4.8% May trading update.
- Speculative Stock of the Day: XPN +233.3% big volume – acquisition of Alpha Digital to accelerate AI -powered growth.
ECONOMIC AND OTHER NEWS

- Japan closed for Children’s Day.
- Iron ore Futures in Singapore edged up 0.6% to $96.30 a ton at 9:55 a.m. local time, after posting a weekly decline of 2.7% on Friday. Chinese markets were closed for a public holiday.
- China is pushing exporters to shift sales home — a move that risks deepening deflation in an economy already weighed down by weak consumption and excess capacity.
- India recalled its top representative to the International Monetary Fund, a former adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who publicly criticized the fund’s analysis.
- Representatives of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his companies met Trump administration officials about dismissing the criminal charges levied against him in an overseas bribery probe.
- Trump says he will impose 100% tariff on movies made abroad.
- EU food safety chief warns on bird flu threat to pigs.
- Cash-strapped Maldives to build $9bn blockchain hub in bid to lure investors.
- The CEOs of NPR and PBS said they will challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order to end public funding to the organisations.
And finally….


So, I can’t spell Armagedden. It’s not the end of the world, is it?
Clarence
XXXX