ASX regrouped after an early swoon jumping 81 points to 7681 (+1.1%). The CPI number turned things around coming in below forecast and pointing to zero chance now of a rate rise. Rate cuts could be sooner rather than later. Looked like some month end window dressing helping things along too. Banks continue to lead the market ever higher, CBA up to another record up 1.3%, WBC up 1.5%, and ANZ up 1.5%. MQG rose 1.3%, with financials and REITs kicking higher. Insurers doing exceptionally well, QBE up 2.7% and SUN up 1.9% as CPI showed strong insurance growth. Industrials were solid, TLS up 0.5%, with supermarkets finding friends COL up 1.3% and EDV up 1.6%. Utilities doing well, ORG numbers helped this morning, APA up 1.6%, and TCL managing a 1.1% gain. Tech slightly higher despite US slipping slightly. Resources were once again a mixed bag; Oil and gas were better as crude prices rose, WDS was up 1.7%, and coal was better. Iron ore stocks heading sideways, lithium remains an outpost of negativity, PLS down 1.4% and MIN slipping back 1.5%. Gold miners fell, NST down 1.4%. In corporate news, plenty of quarterlies dropping. WBT fell 9.8% on royalty timing concerns, IGO down 2.2% after placing Cosmos on care and maintenance, CCP dropped 2.6% and posted a net loss. On the economic front, Chinese factory activity shrank again, local inflation slowed to 0.6% in Q4. Over the last 12 months, CPI fell back to 4.1% from 5.4%. Asian markets slipped again, with Japan down 0.3% HK off 1% with China off 0.2%. 10Y yields dropping to 4.05%. Dow Futures up 22 points. NASDAQ Futures down 140 points. 

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