ASX 200 finished up 23 points to 7578 (0.3%). A positive start to the week with some big events to come. Once again, we saw a divergence in the markets with financials continuing to defy analysts and power up, The Big Bank Basket up to $198.84 (0.9%). MQG rose 0.6% with insurers under a little pressure today. REITS back in demand despite no real change in bond yields, Industrials relatively firm, COL up 0.6% and WOW unchanged despite some Kiwi woes. Gaming stocks did well, TLC up 1.4% and ALL up 0.6% with healthcare mildly positive, CSL up 0.1% and RMD unchanged. Tech stocks sagged a little on Nasdaq softness, WTC down 2.5% and XRO off 3.0%, with the All-Tech Index falling 0.3%. In the resource space, BHP slumped 1.4% on Samarco news over the weekend. FMG powered another 1.0% higher on broker upgrades, gold miners were mixed, NST was up 0.4%, but GOR crashed 18.4% on a quarterly report. Lithium stocks pushed a little higher as PLS rose 2.0% and IGO with plans to cut back on production rose 1.7%. Oil and gas stocks were in demand as oil rose on further tensions after US casualties in the Middle East. In corporate news, BAP saw a winning streak on M&A suggestions after an earnings downgrade up 5.9%, PPT announced FUM dropped $4.3bn, KAR boosted sales in last quarter, WOW announced a write down in NZ and with its EDV holding, SUN saw $568m in claims from recent wild weather. Nothing on the economic front, in China, Evergrande went into liquidation, little effect so far. Asian markets saw gains, Japan up 1%, China up 0.1% and HK bouncing back 0.9%. 10-year yields steady around 4.22%

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