What a difference a speech makes, the ASX 200 fell 92 to 8580 (1.1%), after the Trump address back. We won’t get fooled again! Oil rose, US futures fell hard and it is all becoming a bit predictable. For the short week, we are up from 8516 or 64 points. Resources bore the brunt of the sell down with gains evaporating as BHP fell 2.5%, RIO down 3.3% and the gold sector sold down after early gains, EVN off 4.6% and NST down 0.9% despite a $500m buyback announced. Lithium stocks eased back, PLS down 4.0% and MIN down 6.6%. WDS recovered from a 5% plus fall to close down just 0.5% with STO firming 1.4%. Coal stocks failed to fire. Uranium eased too.
It was ‘Back to the Future’ for industrials with banks and defensives firming, CBA up 0.5% and the Big Bank Basket up to $291.08 (0.1%). MQG fell 1.4% and dragged the financials lower. Elsewhere TLS, and the Supermarkets rose, tech stumbled lower again, WTC off 4.3% And XRO heading that way. Healthcare resumed the sell down, CSL bled another 2.3% lower, RMD dropped 1.6% and SIG down 2.6%.
In corporate news, KMD resumed trading and dropped a whopping 25.8% as it raised emergency funds. ASX fell 1.1% after ASIC findings.
On the economic front, total job vacancies were 337,900, an increase of 2.7% from November 2025.
Asian market sneezed at the address, Japan down 2.2% HK down 1.1% and China down 0.7%6%,
10 -year yields jump to 5.02% on escalation.
US futures: Dow down 500 Nasdaq down 400.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Winners: KAR, ELS, AAI, EBO, EQR
- Losers: HMC, HUB, CRN, RPL, DGT, MP1, SLX
- Positive Sectors: Telcos. Supermarkets. Banks. Oil and gas.
- Negative Sectors: Resources. Tech. Healthcare. Retail.
- ASX 200 Hi 8723 Lo 8568. Derailed. Up 64pts for the week.
- Big Bank Basket: Rose to $291.08 (+0.1%)
- All-Tech Index: Down 3.5%
- Gold: Slides to $6777
- Bitcoin: Rallies to $66284
- 10-year yields: Rallies to 5%
- AUD: Falls to 68.76c.
- Dow down 500 Nasdaq down 300.
MARKET MOVERS
- KAR +6.5% heads higher on oil rebound.
- ELS +5.0% drone exposure.
- AAI +4.0% Aluminium pricing.
- EQR +3.3% change in substantial interest.
- GDG -11.2% smacked down.
- GNG -8.3% low volume sell-off.
- CHN -8.9% weaker metal prices.
- PEN -14.2% Lanced on uranium pullback.
- OMA -9.1% profit taking.
- Speculative Stock of the Day: KGL +26.2% US$300m agreement for Ag and Au streaming with Wheaton.
ECONOMIC AND OTHER NEWS
- The seasonally adjusted balance on goods increased $3,428m in February.

- Australian total job vacancies were 337,900, an increase of 2.7% from November 2025.

- Retail investors jumped on mining, energy, and defence stocks in March amid the Iran war, which sent the S&P/ASX 200 down 7.6% for the month, as well as piling into the beaten-up blood plasma giant CSL.
- Australian government to place new restrictions on advertising linked to gambling.
- Trump’s address kills the rally and the mood. Oil soars past $100. Next stop $120?
- A CNN poll released this week put Trump’s approval rating at 35% and support for his handling of the economy at 31%.
- US Treasury calls in regulators for talks on private credit risks.
- NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years blasts off.
- Amazon in talks to buy $9bn satellite group Globalstar in bid to rival Musk’s Starlink.
Have a great Easter.

Last night, I dreamt that petrol had drastically gone down in price and everyone was happy.
But it was just an April fuel.
Clarence
XXXX