CommSec Market Update

The Australian sharemarket has had a cautious start to a busy holiday-shortened week, with lithium producers, gold miners and energy stocks helping most. An update on Australian inflation will likely be a highlight on Wednesday. 

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

Shares in Netflix rose 8.5% in response to earnings figures. Shares in Google parent Alphabet rose 5.3% after announcing 12,000 job cuts. But shares in Goldman Sachs fell 2.5% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Reserve was probing the company's consumer business. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index was up by 331 points or 1.0%. The S&P 500 index lifted 1.9%. And the Nasdaq index gained 288 points or 2.7%. Over the week the Dow fell 2.7%; the S&P 500 lost 0.7%; but the Nasdaq rose by 0.6%.

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

The ASX 200 hit a fresh 9-month high and extended its winning streak to a third consecutive week, thanks to gains across energy and mining sectors. Next week’s highlight will likely be the December quarter update on Australian inflation Wednesday.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

Data pointing to a tight US labour market fuelled concerns that the US Federal Reserve will maintain its aggressive path of rate hikes. American Express, the only major US card company with credit exposure and highly sensitive to higher rates, fell 2.4%. Amazon.com (-1.9%) and Microsoft (-1.7%) were among the biggest drags on the market after announcing recent plans to cut thousands of jobs. Shares of Procter & Gamble fell 2.1% after warning of commodity costs pressuring profits. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index fell 252 points or 0.8%. The S&P 500 index lost 0.8%. And the Nasdaq index shed 105 points or 1%.

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

The Australian sharemarket rose for the 10th time in 12 days, with the ASX 200 lifting by 0.57%. A weaker December update on employment has opened the door slightly for the Reserve Bank to keep rates on hold sooner than markets expected.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

Get prepared for the trading week ahead with a preview of the key Aussie inflation report and what this could mean for interest rates, why company updates locally could move share prices and what to expect from the US earnings season.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

Weak US economic data rekindled investor concerns about the outlook for growth and earnings. In speeches, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester both stressed the need to raise rates beyond 5% to tackle inflation. Shares of IBM fell 3.3% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to "equal weight" from "overweight." Microsoft's shares slid 1.9% after it announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index fell 614 points or 1.8%. The S&P 500 index lost 1.6%. And the Nasdaq index shed 138 points or 1.2%.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

The Australian sharemarket managed to edge higher on Wednesday, briefly touching another 8 1/2 month high.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

Shares of Goldman Sachs slid 6.4% after the bank reported a bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly profit, dragging on the Dow Jones index. Insurer Travelers Companies shares fell 4.6% after forecasting fourth-quarter earnings below estimates. But shares of Morgan Stanley jumped 5.9% after the bank beat analysts' estimates for fourth-quarter profit as its trading business got a boost from market volatility. And Tesla shares gained 7.4% after the electric-vehicle maker's January retail sales surged in China following recent price cuts on its top-selling models. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index fell 392 points or 1.1%. The S&P 500 index lost 0.2%. But the Nasdaq index added 16 points or 0.1%.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

The Australian sharemarket finished largely flat today in choppy trade, a day after hitting an 8 ½ month high. Iron ore miners were mostly lower on continued concerns of a potential Chinese crackdown on the commodity.

 

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a  Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.