US equity markets retreated but settled off their worst levels of the session ahead of a House vote on the federal debt-ceiling deal this morning AEST to prevent a potential default - Dow fell -135-points or -0.41%, The broader S&P500 lost -0.61%, with Energy (down -1.88%), Industrials (-1.40%), Financials (-1.22%), Materials (-1.12%) and Information Technology (-1.09%) all falling over >1% to lead seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. More defensive sectors outperformed, including Utilities (up +0.96%), Health Care (+0.85%) and Real Estate (+0.66%) all advancing over >0.50%. The Nasdaq -0.63%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.00%.

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox says that stubborn inflation means one to two more rate hikes may still be required before the job is done by the Federal Reserve.

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US equity markets were mixed after resuming trading following the Memorial Day long weekend fell on Tuesday as Wall Street considered the likelihood of Congress passing a tentative deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling - Dow fell -51-points or -0.15%, The broader S&P500 unchanged, with gains for the Consumer Discretionary (up +0.76%) and Information Technology (+0.63%) sectors offsetting declines for the Consumer Staples (down -1.08%) and Energy (-0.94%) sectors. Tesla Inc rallied +4.14% as excitement built around Chief Executive Elon Musk’s first visit to China in about three years. Mr Musk is expected to spend time meeting key officials in Beijing, which may even include Premier Li Qiang. The Nasdaq added +0.32% to 13,017.43, paring an earlier rally of as much as +1.4% but still marking the technology-centric index’s highest close since August, 2022. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.32%.

European bourses settled with modest losses, with the Technology sector (down -0.7%) handing back some of last Friday’s (26 May) +3% gain and leaving the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (which includes UK equities) -0.12% lower. The Oil and Gas sector added +0.2%. Germany's DAX slipped -0.20%. France's CAC eased -0.21%. In broader stock moves, Swedish property group SBB SE rose +2.62% after announcing it was exploring strategic options including a sale of the company or of specific assets and segments. Shares of the company have sunk ~80% over the last year as it struggles with the higher interest rate environment. Elsewhere, President Tayyip Erdogan secured victory in a presidential election in Turkey on Sunday (28 May), extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. In economic data, a final reading of eurozone Consumer Confidence for May, and Consumer Inflation Expectations for May are released tonight AEST.

US equity markets rallied ahead of the Memorial Day long weekend - Dow rose +329-points or +1.00% to snap a five-session losing streak, with Intel Corp (up +5.84%) and American Express (+4.08%) notable performers. The broader S&P500 gained +1.30% to its highest level since mid-August, with the Information Technology (up +2.68%) and Consumer Discretionary (+2.38%) popping over >2% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. Energy (down -0.37%) was the worst performing primary sector on Friday (26 May). Broadcom jumped +11.52% to a record closing high of US$812.73 - touching a record intra-day high of US$814.98 – to be the leading S&P500 performer on Friday (26 May) ahead of the chipmaker’s second quarter result later this week. Ford Motor Co rallied +6.24% after Chief Executive Jim Farley and Tesla Inc (+4.72%) Chief Executive Elon Musk held a Twitter Spaces livestream to reveal an agreement which would allow Ford owners to access Tesla Superchargers in the U.S. and Canada starting early next year, in addition to Ford’s own charging network. Ford electric vehicles (EVs) would use an adapter at first, but in a couple of years the EVs would have built-in connectors and no adapters would be needed. The Nasdaq rallied +2.19%. Marvell Technology Inc surged +32.4% after the chip company posted a solid quarterly result after the close last Thursday (25 May) and said it expected revenue from artificial intelligence (AI) to at least double this fiscal year. The Philadelphia Semiconductor index has added ~40% since the start of the year, driven by the booming AI industry. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +1.05%.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates world oil demand 2 million barrels a day higher than supply in the second half of 2023.

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US equity markets advanced, led by fresh solid gains for the technology sector - Dow slipped -35-points or -0.11%, extending declines into a fifth consecutive session. The broader S&P500 rose +0.88%, with Information Technology (up +4.45%) comfortably the leading primary sector performer and leading five of the eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq jumped +1.71%, posting its best daily percentage gain since 5 May as the artificial intelligence (AI) thematic continued to power gains. Advanced Micro Devices Inc rallied +11.16% and Palo Alto Networks Inc +1.80%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.70%.

Marcelo Matos, Chief Executive Officer of Stanmore Resources Limited presented at our latest Morgans Business Breakfast.

Stanmore specialises in the production of high-quality QLD metallurgical coals for the seaborne market. With ownership interests in four operating open-cut mines and a diverse portfolio of eight potential developments primarily located in the Bowen Basin, QLD, Stanmore has established itself as a key player in the industry.

Following the successful acquisition of the BMC assets, Stanmore is now Australia's fourth-largest met coal producer, positioning them as globally significant in its industry and attracting the attention of investors.

Morgans' clients can read the latest coverage on Stanmore Resources here - https://bit.ly/3BuWfe6

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US equity markets retreated as concern about the impasse in the debt-ceiling talks continued to grow - Dow fell -256-points or -0.77%. The broader S&P500 lost -0.73%, with Real Estate (down -2.21%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Financials (down -1.31%), Financials (-1.31%) and Industrials (-1.27%) all fell over >1%. Energy (up +1.04%) was the sole primary sector to advance for a second straight session. The Nasdaq eased -0.61%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.16%.

ASX small cap industrials have had a difficult 12 months. Our strategist, Andrew Tang explains why he sees the risk/reward for the asset class turning more favourable.

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