South Korea’s Kospi index climbed for a third consecutive session on Friday, defying regional weakness as ongoing trade discussions with the United States buoyed sentiment. The benchmark touched a fresh intraday record of 3,794.87, standing out as the only major Asian market in positive territory, while the smaller Kosdaq erased earlier gains to trade flat.
The Australian sharemarket surged to a new intraday record on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 peaking at 9109.7 before easing to 9077.8 — up 1%. Gains were driven by financials and property stocks after the jobless rate unexpectedly climbed to a four-year high of 4.5%, boosting expectations of a November rate cut.
The Australian sharemarket advanced on Wednesday, lifted by strength in major banks and miners as gold prices surged to fresh record highs. The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.9 per cent, or 76.2 points, to 8975.6, with nine of 11 sectors closing higher.
The Australian sharemarket fluctuated on Tuesday as optimism over renewed US-China trade dialogue and easing Middle East tensions lifted sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 was steady at 8883 points by mid-afternoon, with strong gains in gold miners and iron ore majors offsetting weakness across most sectors.
The Australian sharemarket slipped on Monday as renewed trade tensions between the US and China dampened sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5 per cent, or 44.9 points, to 8913.4, retreating from last week’s six-week high. Tech stocks led declines, with Life360 down 2.3 per cent, WiseTech 2.6 per cent, and Computershare 3.5 per cent.
The Australian sharemarket edged lower on Friday, weighed down by sharp losses in gold and energy stocks after a breakthrough ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas triggered a broad risk-off sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 11.1 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 8958.7, with eight of 11 sectors finishing higher.
The Australian sharemarket rose modestly on Thursday, supported by gains in the major miners. The S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.2 per cent, or 23.7 points, to 8971.3, nearing its record high from August.
The Australian sharemarket edged lower on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 slipping 6.3 points to 8950.5 as weakness in retail and technology stocks offset gains elsewhere. Profit-taking in gold miners also dragged on sentiment, despite bullion briefly topping US$4000 an ounce amid a U.S. government shutdown and softer Wall Street trade.
Australian shares declined on Tuesday in a broad-based sell-off despite overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3 per cent, or 29.3 points, to 8952.1 by 2pm AEDT, with all sectors trading in the red.
The Australian sharemarket advanced strongly on Thursday, buoyed by rallies in the major banks and surging gold prices. The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 1.1 per cent, adding 98.8 points to reach 8944.5 by mid-afternoon, with nine of the 11 sectors trading higher.
The Australian sharemarket traded lower on Wednesday as investors weighed the likelihood of a looming US government shutdown. After rising 0.2 per cent in early trade, the S&P/ASX 200 reversed course to fall 34.8 points, or 0.4 per cent, by mid-afternoon. Losses in energy, consumer discretionary and major banks outweighed gains in healthcare and utilities.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has kept the cash rate unchanged at 3.6 per cent, in a unanimous decision that matched market expectations. The board cited lingering uncertainty in the outlook, noting that recent data suggest inflation in the September quarter could exceed its earlier forecasts.
