ASX 200 fell 24 points to 8807 (0.3%) to be up 1.7% for the week. Not too shabby. As usual it was the perennial war between banks and resources. Banks down with CBA slipping %, results next week and the Big Bank Basket down to $279.64 (-0.8%). Insurers walloped, QBE down 8.8% on poor results. SUN off 3.2% and IAG sliding 2.7%. Other financials falling hard too GQG down 14.6% on FUM levels falling and performance lagging, HUB dropped 2.0% and PNI took a break, down 5.3%. REITs flat, healthcare slid, CSL running into reality, down 1.8% and PME falling 3.6% as TLX continued to drift lower. Industrials too fell, REA down 1.1% and ALL off 1.8% with LNW falling 11.2% on plans to delist from Nasdaq. Tech fell, XRO down 1.4% and 360 dropping 4.2% with the All Tech Index down 0.7%.
Resources were bid, Iron ore a lithium together with gold miners in the green. BHP up 0.9% with FMG rising 1.8%. NST bounced another 4.0% with NEM cruising 2.2% higher, LYC jumped 3.8% and PLS up 9.0%, buyers cover shorts as lithium pricing recovered. LTR returned from a mega upsized raise of $316m with the Chinese taking a slice and the Australian government, the stock unchanged. Coal stocks better, NHC up 2.5% and WHC rising 3.1%. Uranium stocks slightly firmer. PBH up 4.6% as its board recommended Mixi’s offer.
In corporate news, IRE bounced 12.2% on takeover approach from Blackstone at 1050c, QBE massacred, XYZ showed a clean pair of heels on a good result, NCK too better by 6.9% on numbers.
Nothing on the economic front locally. Asian markets mixed, Japan up 1.7% to new highs. China modestly lower and HK falling 1.0%.
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