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.

In the US, all 3 major indexes snapped their winning streaks with overnight slides. The Dow Jones fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.4%, and the tech heavy Nasdaq was hit the hardest, closing down 0.7% , largely spurred by Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stocks losing steam. 

In Europe overnight, markets closed mixed on Tuesday as government shake ups weighed on key areas of the market, while a materials rally offset some weakness. The STOXX 600 lost 0.15% on Tuesday while Germany’s DAX added 0.03%, the French CAC climbed 0.04% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.05%.  

Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed in the region as chip-stocks saw volatility while Japanese government bonds rose to all-time highs. Japan’s Nikkei closed flat on Tuesday, and India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.12% while Hong Kong, China and South Korean markets were all closed for a holiday. 

The local market started the new trading week lower amid with a 0.27% decline on Tuesday amid lower trading volumes and a broad sell-off amongst the market. 

Gold miners offset some of the losses again yesterday with the price of the precious commodity once again soaring to new heights amid looming US interest rate cuts and the prospect of a prolonged US government shutdown driving demand for the safe-haven commodity. 

Australian Westpac Consumer Confidence data for October came in at a sharp decline of -3.5%, starkly different to the forecast rise of 3.1% as family finances weaken and economic uncertainty remains a concern. This weighed on the consumer discretionary sector yesterday as investors see falling consumer confidence as a sign of lower discretionary spend to come.

Web Travel (ASX:WEB) shares jumped over 2.5% after the hotel B2B organisation spun out of WebJet Group announced it was on track to deliver record EBITDA for FY26, while Brisbane Broncos (ASX:BBL)shares fell 12.8% a day after climbing over 20% as investors took some profits from the winning NRL team’s record close on Monday. 

What to watch today:

• On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.24% lower at US$61.54/barrel, gold is up 0.63% at US$3987/ounce and iron ore is down 0.25% at US$104.22/tonne.
• Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.04%. 

Trading Ideas:

• Bell Potter have maintained their buy rating on biotechnology company Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) and raised the price target to $4 per share, after recent developments that its flagship drug Ryoncil has received a brand new J-Code in the US, allowing hospitals broader access to reimbursement when ordering the drug, and therefore increased projected revenue for Mesoblast. 
• Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE), indicating that the share price may rise from the close of $21.20 per share, to the range of $22.30 to $22.60 according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street closed mostly higher on Monday as investor optimism increased for M&A as two major deals were announced for Comerica and AMD separately. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, the Nasdaq gained 0.8% on Monday and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.1%. AMD shares rose 23% on Monday after the company reached a deal with OpenAI to supply the leading AI generator with AI chips which could ultimately end up giving the ChatGPT maker a 10% stake in the chipmaker. Meanwhile, Comerica shares jumped 10% after Fifth Third Bancorp reached a deal to buy the fellow regional U.S. bank for US$10.9bn in an all-stock transaction.

In Europe overnight, markets closed mostly lower with the STOXX 600 closing flat as did Germany’s DAX closed flat, while the French CAC lost 1% after the country’s new prime minister called it quits after less than a month, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.13%.

Across the Asia region on Monday, markets closed mixed led by Japan’s Nikkei soaring 4% to a fresh record after the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected conservative Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, positioning her to become the country’s first female Prime Minister. Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.67% and India’s Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.74%.

Locally to start the new trading week the ASX200 closed just 0.07% lower as a tech and healthcare sell-off offset strength among the materials and utilities stocks.  Gold and copper spot prices reaching a record and 16-month high respectively buoyed local producers yesterday with the outlook for continued momentum for both critical metals to extend for some time to come.

Brisbane Broncos (ASX:BBL) shares soared 27% on Monday to a record close after the club’s 19-year grand final winning drought ended on Sunday with the team taking out the winning title for 2025.

What to watch today: 

• On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.5% higher at US$61.79/barrel, gold is up a further almost 2% to yet another record US$3962.58/ounce and iron ore is up 0.25% at US$104.36/tonne.
• The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 66.19 U.S. cents, 99.47 Japanese yen, 49.19 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 0.16%.

 Trading Ideas:

• Bell Potter has resumed coverage of Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) with a buy rating and 12-month price target of $30.00, up from $20.85 as the analyst sees NST as a stable, low-risk gold producer entering a phase of free-cash-flow harvesting in FY27 following the $1.5bn investment in the KCGM mill expansion from 12 million tonnes per annum to 27 million tonnes per annum.
• And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Ventia Services Group (ASX:VNT) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $5.24 to the range of $5.85 to $6.00 according to standard principles of technical analysis.