Closing Bell 6th May: Real Estate and Technology help push XJO Higher

What's Affecting Markets Today

Asian markets rise

Asia-Pacific markets followed Wall Street’s lead on Monday, buoyed by optimism stemming from a weaker-than-anticipated U.S. jobs report, which fueled speculation of potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Market attention was directed towards the Reserve Bank of Australia’s upcoming rate decision and China’s April trade data. Analysts noted Australia’s inflationary trends, indicating a potential acceleration in price growth, though they expect the RBA to maintain its current rate of 4.35% due to a softening labor market and slower economic growth compared to the U.S. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained steady, while mainland China’s CSI 300 surged 1.30% post-Labor Day holiday. In the U.S., stocks rallied on Friday following the release of the April jobs report, which showed fewer job additions than anticipated, coupled with stagnant wage growth, easing concerns over inflation. The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all recorded significant gains.

ASX Stocks

ASX 200 - 7,674.7 (+0.6%)

Key Highlights:

The Australian share market advanced on Monday, propelled by a surge in technology and real estate stocks following a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report, which strengthened the case for potential rate cuts in the U.S. The S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.6%, with notable gains in seven out of eleven sectors. Real estate stocks rose by 1.3%, led by sector heavyweight Goodman Group, while the information technology sector performed well, up 1.1%, with notable gains from WiseTech and NextDC. Mining stocks followed suit, buoyed by a rise in iron ore prices, with Fortescue Metals and BHP among the gainers. Investor focus turned to the Reserve Bank’s upcoming interest rate decision, with expectations of governor Michele Bullock revising inflation forecasts. Notable stock movements included Qantas, which edged up after agreeing to compensate customers on cancelled flights, and GrainCorp, which dropped after warning on profit due to softer commodity prices.

Leaders

MSB Mesoblast Ltd 6.91%
APM APM Human Services Int Ltd 6.19%
HLS Healius Ltd 6.09%
ASB Austal Ltd 5.56%
CU6 Clarity Pharmaceuticals Ltd 5.07%

Laggards

SQ2 Block Inc -9.40%
SNZ Summerset Group Holdings Ltd -6.27%
AD8 Audinate Group Ltd -5.30%
SPK Spark New Zealand Ltd  -4.35%
GNC Graincorp Ltd  -4.28%

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