ASX 200 rose 57 points to 8598 (0.7%) to a fresh record high as retail sales opened the door to a rate cut next week. Resources leading the way higher with BHP, RIO and FMG all doing well, FMG the best up 3.8%. Some movement in base metal stocks too on Chinese economic hopes, S32 up 5.1% with gold miners flat. Oil and gas firmed, WDS up 1.1% and STO up 0.5%. Lithium stocks eked out some gains with uranium miners flat. Industrials were the real winners today, WES up 0.8% as retail stocks gained on rate cut hopes. DMP crashed 15.8% as its new CEO went ex. WOW and COL firmed with ALL up 1.9% and TLS gaining 1.0%. REITs firm on cut hopes, GMG up 2.1% and SCG gaining 2.7%. Tech stocks mixed, WTC up 1.4% and XRO off 2.1%.  Banks were early losers but found favour and pushed slightly higher as CBA rose 0.6% and the Big Bank Basket up to $286.64 (+0.2%). In corporate news, HLI fell 21.4% as it lost the ING contract. QAN dropped 2.2% as it got hit with a cyberattack.  On the economic front, Retail sales came in at 0.2% higher, slightly below forecast. 

Asian markets mixed again, Japan down 0.4% on Trump tariff threats, HK up 0.5% and China flat. 

10-year yields rose to 4.14%. Dow futures up 120, and Nasdaq futures up 70.

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