Between the Bells

In the US overnight, Wall St closed trading mixed higher as investors responded to stronger-than-expected corporate earnings results out of key names like Coca-Cola and 3M. The Dow Jones is closed up 0.47%, the S&P500 is closed flat and the Nasdaq closed down 0.16%

Across Europe overnight, markets closed higher led by strong gains for defence stocks in the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.2%, Germany’s DAX added 0.3%, the French CAC climbed 0.64% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.25%. 

The Asia markets closed mostly higher as Japan’s first female Prime Minister was announced and investors continued to assess trade negotiations in the region. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.27%, South Korea’s Kospi Index added 0.24%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.76% and China’s CSI index ended the day up 1.53%. 

The local market extended its green run this week into Tuesday’s session with the key index gaining 0.7% at the closing bell driven by the materials sector after Australia and the US agreed to invest a combined US$3bn in critical minerals projects, as part of Prime Minister Albanese’s visit to the White House. 

Gold reset its record yesterday topping US$4381/ounce for the first time which propelled local gold miners higher, while rare earths producers were bought into on the back of the US-Australia critical minerals deal.

HUB24 (ASX:HUB) surged over 10% yesterday after platform funds under administration rose 8% over the September quarter to $122bn, while DroneShield (ASX:DRO) also rose 8.7% as investors bought back into the counter-drone technology company. 

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.7% higher at US$57.42/barrel, gold is down 5.56% at US$4116/ounce as the US dollar strengthened and profit-taking kicked in following the price of the precious commodity hitting a fresh record over US$4382/ounce on yesterday, and iron ore is up 0.14% at US$105.50/tonne. 
• Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.5%. 

Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has maintained its buy rating on HUB24 (ASX:HUB) and increased its 12 month target price from $125 to $135 off the back of better than expected Q1 FY26 results and significant market momentum. 
• And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL), indicating that the price may rise from the current close of $17 per share to the range of $17.80 to $18 per share over a period of 21 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week in positive territory as investors looked toward a potential end to the government shutdown now in its 3rd week, and as Apple shares boosted tech stocks following an upgrade to a buy rating from Loop Capital. The Dow Jones rose 1.12%, the S&P 500 also climbed 1.07% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 1.37%.

In Europe overnight markets closed mostly higher as defence stocks drove gains in the region. The STOXX 600 gained 1%, Germany’s DAX added 1.9%, the French CAC climbed 0.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.5%.

Across the Asia markets on Monday, it was a positive session as key economic data out in the region boosted investor sentiment. Japan’s Nikkei rose 3.37% to a fresh record high, while China’s CSI index added 0.53%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 2.52% and South Korea’s Kospi index ended the day up 1.76%.

China’s Q3 GDP data out yesterday weighed on investor sentiment with the reading coming in at expansion of 1.1% over the September quarter, which exceeded analysts’ expectations of 0.8% expansion, and over the 12-months to September the Chinese economy expanded 4.8% which met forecasts, signalling a material rebound in economic recovery post pandemic is potentially finally underway.

The local market started the new trading week lower early on Monday before turning positive to post a 0.4% rise at the closing bell led by a rally for financials and REIT stocks on Monday.

Neuren (ASX:NEU) shares took off yesterday with a gain over 4% after the pharmaceutical company announced it has received US FDA Fast Track Designation for its drug candidate NNZ-2591 for the treatment of Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for Phelan-McDermid syndrome which places Neuren at the forefront of care for this condition when the drug reaches commercialisation.

Vehicle parts provider Bapcor (ASX:BAP) tumbled over 17.5% on Monday after the company reported a profit downgrade and disclosed a $12m pre-tax earnings hit due to challenging operating practices in its trade division.

Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) also dived over 18% after the uranium company announced the immediate exit of its Chief Executive, John Borshoff, and will be replaced by the company’s CFO, Craig Barnes as acting CEO until a permanent appointment is made.

 What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.3% lower at US$57.47/barrel, gold is back in record territory with another gain of 2.72% to trade at US$4365.85/ounce and iron ore is down 0.2% at 105.35/ounce.
• The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.16 U.S. cents, 98.18 Japanese yen, 48.5 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.
• Ahead of Tuesday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.5%.

 Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Beach Energy (ASX:BPT) from $1.25 to $1.10 and maintain a hold rating on the energy exploration and development company. The price target was decreased despite strong quarterly results because the medium-term earnings outlook worsened, with the analyst reducing EPS forecasts in FY27 (-18%) and FY28 (-9%) due to factors like unsuccessful exploration (e.g., Hercules-1) and ongoing high capex. The Hold rating was maintained as near-term production is steady and cash flow is expected to improve, but the longer-term growth and returns remain uncertain.
• And Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Austco Healthcare (ASX:AHC) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of 55cps. AHC manufactures sophisticated nurse call systems, enterprise reporting and analytics tools, for the purpose of improving patient outcomes and reducing cost for healthcare organisations. AHC is rated a Buy by Bell Potter’s analyst due to its strong revenue and earnings growth, underpin

Wall St closed higher across the key indices on Friday as investor hopes of easing trading tensions between the U.S. and China rose a day after credit concerns sparked a sharp selloff for U.S. regional banks. The S&P500 rose 0.53% on Friday while the Nasdaq added 0.52% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.52%.

Across Europe on Friday markets closed lower amid credit concerns of bad debts looming across regional banks in the U.S. The STOXX 600 fell 0.95%, Germany’s DAX lost 1.82%, the French CAC fell 0.18% and, in the UK the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.86%.
Over the Asia markets on Friday, it was a mostly positive session as trade talks with the U.S. continue to make progress toward a sustainable solution. South Korea’s Kospi index rose to a record high for a third day, ending the session up 0.01% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 2.48% and India’s Nifty 50 gained 0.48%.

Locally on Friday the key index lost 0.81% to end a very volatile trading week triggered by increased trade war tensions between the US and China on Thursday, while the gold rally worked to offset some of the market losses.

The price of gold hit yet another record high on Friday topping US$4350/ounce for the first time in history. This boosted local miners further into the green with Newmont (ASX:NEM) adding 3.32% while Northern Star (ASX:NST) gained 2.75% and Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) ended the day up almost 2%.

EROAD (ASX:ERD) tumbled over 33% on Friday after the company announced a restructure of plans to focus more on the ANZ market and step back from its North American expansion plans.

Lynas (ASX:LYC) shares fell 5.7% on Friday amid increased investor concerns that easing tensions between China and the US over rare earth export controls could lead to a deal, potentially lowering rare earth prices and pressuring suppliers like Lynas. Comments from China’s Ministry of Commerce suggesting openness to trade talks triggered the sell-off.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.14% higher at US$57.54/barrel, gold is down 1.81% at US$4250/ounce and iron ore is down 0.2% at US$105.35/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.88 U.S. cents, 97.35 Japanese yen, 48.50 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.
• Ahead of Monday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.08%.

Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) from $1.50 to $1.20 and maintain a sell rating on the therapeutic acute wound care company following the release of the company’s September quarter update including revenues down 12% on the PCP and the departure of the company’s CEO. The analyst sees in the absence of a bid for the company, which remains highly uncertain, we maintain our Sell rating. FY25 revenues have been exceptionally poor capped off by the 3Q25 decline.
• And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Suncorp Group (ASX:SUN) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $19.56 to the range of $18.50 to $18.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Markets tumbled this week as renewed US–China trade tensions reignited volatility across global equities. Social media fuelled tariff threats and retaliatory sanctions have reminded investors how quickly sentiment can shift. With headline risk back in focus, flexibility and diversification remain key for navigating the uncertainty.

In this week’s wrap, Grady covers:

• (0:29): trade tensions in the news again - the market’s worst day in months
• (1:45): how investors’ strategy needs to change during this period of volatility
• (3:15): the impact of the trade war on ASX listed stocks
• (4:17): how the local market performed over the last trading week
• (5:18): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week
• (5:50): economic news items to look out for next week.

Wall Street edged higher on Wednesday as strong earnings results out of the Bank of America and Morgan Stanley boosted the major averages into the green at the closing bell. The Nasdaq added 0.6%, the S&P 500 gained 0.4%, and the Dow Jones ended the day flat. 

Cooking oil stocks surged in the U.S. on Wednesday after President Trump threatened to cut off U.S. purchases of Chinese cooking oil.

In Europe overnight markets closed mixed as luxury brands across the region led markets gains. The STOXX 600 rose 0.7%, Germany’s DAX fell 0.1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.3%.

Across the Asia region on Wednesday, it was a sea of green despite renewed trade threats between the world’s two largest economies. Japan’s Nikkei rose 1.76%, China’s CSI index added 1.48%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 2.06% and India’s Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.74%.

Locally yesterday, the ASX200 posted a 1.03% rise on Wednesday as gains from the healthcare stocks, the major banks and gold miners boosted the key index to a positive finish.

Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) soared over 15% yesterday after the radiopharmaceutical company released a positive Q3 trading update including a 53% increase YoY in unaudited revenue to US$206m, the receipt of full reimbursement for its Gozellix Product from the US Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the company raised its full year revenue guidance range to US$800 to US$820m from US$770 to US$800m.

And the competition watchdog launched a probe into the merger between Southern Cross Media and Seven West Media due to concerns it may reduce competition in an already consolidated market.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.15% lower at US$58.50/barrel, gold is up a further 1.51% at a fresh record US$4205.90/ounce and iron ore is down 1.2% at US$105.25/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.08 US cents, 98.45 Japanese yen, 48.77 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.
• Ahead of Thursday’s trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down just 0.04%.

 Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Jumbo Interactive (ASX:JIN)from $11.50 to $11.85 and maintain a hold rating on the digital lotteries business following the company’s acquisition of Dream Car Giveaways for an enterprise value of $109.9m. The analyst sees the acquisition is another positive step in diversifying revenue and the hold rating is maintained due to risks in market share as new players enter the lotteries market and key competitors strengthen their offerings.
• And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Vicinity Centres (ASX:VCX) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 96-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $2.54 to the range of $2.74 to $2.78 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The US saw a volatile trading session overnight ultimately end mixed across the 3 major benchmarks. The S&P500 closed down 0.2% and the Nasdaq closed down 0.8%, although they had fallen as low as 1.5 and 2.1% throughout the day. The Dow Jones despite opening down 1.3% rallied to close up 0.4% - the volatility comes amid continuing trade tensions between the US and China.  

Europe too saw a mostly a negative session ovvernight. The STOXX 600 fell 0.4%, Germany’s DAX lost 0.62%, the French CAC fell 0.18% and the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.1%. 

Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mostly lower as China’s Ministry of Commerce sanctioned five US-related units of Hanwha Marine Corporation in direct retaliation to the US’ investigation of Chinese maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries in a step backward in the trade negotiations. Japan’s Nikkei fell 2.58% on Tuesday, while China’s CSI index lost 1.12%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.74% and India’s Nifty 50 ended the day down 0.55%. 

The local market traded lower on Tuesday before closing the session up 0.2% as US-China trade negotiations showed signs of progression on Monday, Middle East tensions continued to ease, and the AI rally marched on in the US. 

NAB Business Confidence data for September came in at a rise to 7 index points for last month, up from 4 points in August, but short of the 9 points the market was expecting a rise to. The small rise though signals greater optimism from a business perspective in Australia following a mostly negative year on the sentiment front for businesses in FY25.

Australian consumer confidence on the other hand weighed on the market gains yesterday as the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence survey unveiled sentiment weakened in October to a 1-year low.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.22% lower at US$58.83/barrel, gold is up 0.43% at US$4145/ounce and iron ore is up 0.75% at US$106.53/tonne.
• Ahead of Wednesday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.83%.

Trading Ideas:

• Bell Potter maintains its Buy rating on Uranium producer Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and has raised its target price from $10.30 to $11.35, off the back of record Q1 FY25 production as well as steady increases in the average realised Uranium price. 
• And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal on CSL (ASX:CSL), indicating that the price may rise from the current close of $211 to the price range of $228-232 over a period of 37 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street started the new trading week with a strong rebound after President Trump said trade relations with China will be fine, a few days after threatening massive tariff increases on the region. Investor sentiment eased and stocks surged as a result of Trump’s message to start the new trading week higher. The S&P 500 added 1.56% on Monday while the Nasdaq climbed 2.21% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 1.29%.

In Europe on Monday markets closed higher led by a mining rally as investors keep an eye on trade negotiations between the US and China. The STOXX 600 rose 0.44%, Germany’s DAX added 0.6%, the French CAC climbed 0.21% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.16%.

Across the Asia region on Monday markets closed lower as investors pulled back amid trade tension uncertainty between the world’s largest two regions. China’s CSI index fell 0.5%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 2.04%, Japan’s Nikkei lost 1.01% and South Korea’s Kospi index ended the day down 0.72%.

Locally to start the new trading week, investor sentiment was dented by Wall Street’s Friday tumble and Trump’s renewed tariff threats, which led to a broad sell-off on the ASX to start the new week with the key index ending the day down 0.94% in the worst session since mid-September.

Gold scaled to a fresh record high again on Monday amid renewed macro and trade uncertainty which fuelled a buying frenzy among the gold miners on Monday with Northern Star (ASX:NST) and Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) rising over 1% each while Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) soared over 7%.

Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE) tumbled over 11% on Monday after the wine maker scrapped earnings guidance due to weaker-than-expected trading in China, with the company also halting its $200m share buyback which signals elevated trading uncertainty.

Margin contraction hurt Fletcher Building (ASX:FBU) on Monday with shares in the company falling almost 2% after a trading update unveiled margin contraction in its heavy building materials volumes.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.41% higher at US$59.64/barrel gold is up 2.3% at US$4105/ounce and iron ore is up 0.84% at US$105.74/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.21 US cents, 99.27 Japanese yen, 48.96 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.
• Ahead of Tuesday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.3% tracking Wall Street’s gains overnight.

 Trading Ideas:

• Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on COG Financial (ASX:COG) from $2.25 to $2.70 and maintain a buy rating on the diversified conglomerate of Australian distribution businesses following the announcement that the company will acquire a non-controlling interest in its subsidiary Fleet Network for a consideration of $23.9m.
• And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on SGH (ASX:SGH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 16-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $47.80 to the range of $46.60 to $46.90 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street tumbled on Friday in the worst session in months after Trump took to his social media platform to announce plans for a “massive increase in tariffs on China” amid rising trade negotiation tensions. The S&P500 fell 2.71%, the Nasdaq tumbled 3.56% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 1.9%.

In Europe on Friday markets closed lower after Trump threatened heightened tariffs on China which threatens to disrupt the stability of the global trade landscape once again. The STOXX 600 fell 1.3%, Germany’s DAX lost 1.4%, the French CAC declined 1.53%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.9%.

Across the Asia markets on Friday, it was mostly a sea of red as investors assess the state of trade and economic environments in the region. Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.01% on Friday while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.84%, and China’s CSI index ended the day down 1.97%. South Korea’s Kospi index was the only market to close with a gain of 1.73% on Friday.

The local market ended Friday’s trading session with a 0.13% loss as a Gaza peace plan prospect through Israel implanting a ceasefire deal in the strip led to a selloff in gold and oil stocks, while iron ore miners also dipped on further price disputes between China and BHP.

L1 Group (ASX:L1G) soared over 11% on Friday after Bell Potter increased the 12-month price target on the company by almost 30% to 90cps amid the stability of growing funds for L1, the increased scale of the combined group, the upside from further cost synergies between L1 Capital and Platinum under the new L1 Group and further acquisitions of teams to bolster the strength of the company.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 4.24% lower at US$58.90/barrel, gold is up 1.02% at US$4015.59/ounce and iron ore is up 0.84% at US$105.74/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.07 US cents, 98.83 Japanese yen, 48.58 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.
• Ahead of Monday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.94%.

Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Develop Global (ASX:DVP) from $5.10 to $5.40 and maintain a buy rating on the hybrid mining services and critical metals producer following the release of the company’s updated DFS for its Sulphur Springs Zinc-Copper mining project. DVP’s updated Sulphur Springs DFS shows a major uplift in project value (pre-tax NPV8% of $921m) driven by higher metal prices, increased plant throughput (1.5Mtpa), and a 19% reduction in operating costs. This enhances project economics and supports a valuation upgrade to $5.40/share.
• And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Universal Stores (ASX:UNI) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 247 days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $8.87 to the range of $11.50 to $12.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Global markets saw a shakeup this week, as AI optimism cooled, global trade tensions rose, and the US government shutdown continued into week two. The uncertainty saw investors pile into gold, sending it above US$4,000/oz for the first time in history, and with central banks stockpiling bullion and rate cuts expected, the gold rush could still have plenty of room to move in FY26. The renewed drivers and tailwinds are fuelling greater momentum for the gold price, with hedge books winding down at a rapid rate.

In this week’s wrap, Grady covers:
• (0:34): rate cuts and valuation gaps – factors driving the gold rush
• (2:23): how the record run is affecting Aussie mining stocks
• (3:26): highlights from emerging names in the gold sector
• (4:51): how the local market performed over the last trading week
• (5:33): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week
• (6:03): economic news items to look out for next week.

Wall St closed the midweek session back in record territory as investors overlooked the recent AI concerns and government shutdown and bought back into undervalued areas of the market. The S&P500 rose 0.58% to a fresh record close, the Nasdaq added 1.12% to also post a new record high and the Dow Jones ended the day flat. Investors also showed little reaction to the Fed’s latest FOMC meeting minutes which were released overnight and covered the first rate cut out of the Fed for 2025.

In Europe on Wednesday markets closed higher as investors welcomed tariffs proposed to be imposed on steel imported into the EU. The STOXX 600 rose 0.8%, Germany’s DAX added 0.87%, the French CAC climbed 1.07% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.

Across the Asia region on Wednesday markets closed mixed while China, Hong Kong and South Korean markets remained closed for a holiday. Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.45% on Wednesday while India’s Nifty50 ended the day down 0.25%.

Locally on Wednesday the ASX200 posted a 0.1% loss at the closing bell as declines in retail and tech stocks, the rate sensitive sectors, outweighed strength within the healthcare sector. Investor concerns around the sustainability of profits among AI providers was the key factor behind the tech pullback yesterday.

James Hardie’s (ASX:JHX) shares jumped 10% after better-than-expected Q2 sales, led by strong U.S. siding and trim performance. Stable distributor inventories and good cost control helped margins for the building materials maker. While new home construction is soft, renovation demand for premium materials remains resilient, highlighting how well-positioned companies can still perform despite ongoing sector challenges.

The price of gold reached new heights on Wednesday topping US$4000/ounce for the first time in history which extended the recent rally for some local gold miners including Minerals260 (ASX:MI6) soaring over 10%, while investors took the chance to take some profits off the table from key gold miners like Northern Star (ASX:NST) and Newmont (ASX:NEM) following a prolonged period of share price appreciation.

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.07% higher at US$62.39/barrel, gold is up a further 1.24% at US$4035.14/ounce and iron ore is up 0.07% at US$104.29/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.88 US cents, 100.59 Japanese yen, 49.06 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.
• Ahead of Thursday’s trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up a sharp 0.42%.

 Trading ideas:

• Bell Potter has initiated coverage of CAR Group (ASX:CAR) with a buy rating and 12-month price target of $42.20. The analyst has a Buy rating on CAR Group due to its strong global portfolio, consistent earnings growth, and exposure to underpenetrated markets with clear pathways for value creation. Trading at a 24% discount to peers, CAR offers an attractive risk-adjusted return profile compared to other ASX-listed classifieds like REA (ASX:REA) and SEEK (ASX:SEK).
• And Bell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and raises its price target to $10.30/share due to stronger uranium market fundamentals, stable ramp-up at Langer Heinrich Mine, and upward adjustments to cash and share estimates. The stock remains undervalued relative to peers, with further upside potential as its Patterson Lake South project is de-risked.