ASX 200 Pulls Back From Steeper Drop

2026-05-11 06:39 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 45 points, or 0.5%, to close at 8,699 on Monday, extending losses from the prior session amid weaker U.S.

futures after President Donald Trump turned down Tehran’s counteroffer for peace talks.

Traders also turned cautious ahead of Australia’s 2026 federal budget due Tuesday, as Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned global conflicts and persistent inflation were keeping the economy “hostage.” In China, Australia’s main trading partner, April consumer inflation accelerated, driven partly by higher transport costs linked to supply disruptions.

Still, early weakness was capped as Beijing reported record-high exports and imports in April, pushing the trade surplus above forecasts.

Healthcare, financials, and consumer stocks led the decline, with notable movers from Greatland Resources fell 2.4%, JB Hi-Fi (-2.2%), and Qantas (-2.0%).

CSL Ltd. plunged 15.5% after warning of an additional AUD 5 billion impairment charge for FY2026–27 and cutting its earnings outlook for 2026.



News Stream
ASX 200 Pulls Back From Steeper Drop
The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 45 points, or 0.5%, to close at 8,699 on Monday, extending losses from the prior session amid weaker U.S. futures after President Donald Trump turned down Tehran’s counteroffer for peace talks. Traders also turned cautious ahead of Australia’s 2026 federal budget due Tuesday, as Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned global conflicts and persistent inflation were keeping the economy “hostage.” In China, Australia’s main trading partner, April consumer inflation accelerated, driven partly by higher transport costs linked to supply disruptions. Still, early weakness was capped as Beijing reported record-high exports and imports in April, pushing the trade surplus above forecasts. Healthcare, financials, and consumer stocks led the decline, with notable movers from Greatland Resources fell 2.4%, JB Hi-Fi (-2.2%), and Qantas (-2.0%). CSL Ltd. plunged 15.5% after warning of an additional AUD 5 billion impairment charge for FY2026–27 and cutting its earnings outlook for 2026.
2026-05-11
Australian Equities Extend Slide Ahead of Federal Budget
Australian stocks slipped 78 points or 0.9% to 8,666 on Monday morning deals, marking losses for the second straight session amid a sharp drop in U.S. equity futures as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated after President Trump rejected Tehran’s latest peace proposal. Traders stayed cautious ahead of inflation data in top trading partner China later today. In March, annual inflation in the country remained near a three-year high, partly reflecting a rebound in transport costs. Locally, the 2026/27 federal budget will be released on Tuesday, against a backdrop of global energy shocks, surging cost of living, and a national debt edging toward AUD 1 trillion. Healthcare, consumer durables, financials, and transport led the losses, though gains in process industries and energy minerals helped limit the decline. Among major decliners were CSL Ltd. (-17.9%), Pro Medicus (-3.2%), and Sigma Healthcare (1.2%). Meanwhile, the big four banks slipped between 1.8% to 3.3%.
2026-05-11
ASX 200 Sinks But Logs First Weekly Gain in Four
The S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 134 points, or 1.5%, to finish at 8,744 on Friday, ending two days of gains as profit-taking and broad sector weakness dragged the market lower. The sell-off followed Wall Street’s slump Thursday amid renewed Middle East tensions after U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, each blaming the other for the escalation. Sentiment was further pressured by the Reserve Bank’s third rate hike this year, earlier this week, lifting the cash rate to 4.35% amid persistent inflation risks and second-round price pressures from geopolitical uncertainty. Losses were broad-based, led by financials, retail trade, logistics, and energy minerals. The four major banks plunged between 1.5% and 4.8%. Other notable laggards included Wisetech Global (-4.6%), ASX Ltd. (-3.2%), Bluescope Steel Ltd. (-2.7%), and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. (-2.5%). Still, markets edged up 0.2% for the week, up for the first time in four weeks, helped by bargain hunting.
2026-05-08