ASX 200 Finishes Flat Ahead of GDP Data

2026-06-02 07:05 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

The ASX 200 ended little changed at 8,724 on Tuesday, recovering from early weakness as gains in tech services, healthcare, and non-energy minerals offset losses in retail trade, process industries, and financials.

Traders anticipated Australia's GDP readings for Q1, due on Wednesday, seeking cues on the central bank's monetary policy path ahead of its meeting later this month.

Meanwhile, fresh data released today showed business stocks in Australia rebounded in Q1 after falling in the prior two periods.

However, corporate profits during the period fell after solid growth in Q4.

Meanwhile, Q1 current account deficit hit a record peak, underperforming forecasts.

The four major banks fell between 0.2% and 3.9%, while other notable losers included PLS Group (-2.8%), Woodside Energy (1.8%), and Aristocrat Leisure (1.3%).

On the upside, Northern Star Resources jumped 13.6% after activist investor Elliott Investment disclosed an over AUD 1 billion stake and called for a strategic review.



News Stream
ASX 200 Finishes Flat Ahead of GDP Data
The ASX 200 ended little changed at 8,724 on Tuesday, recovering from early weakness as gains in tech services, healthcare, and non-energy minerals offset losses in retail trade, process industries, and financials. Traders anticipated Australia's GDP readings for Q1, due on Wednesday, seeking cues on the central bank's monetary policy path ahead of its meeting later this month. Meanwhile, fresh data released today showed business stocks in Australia rebounded in Q1 after falling in the prior two periods. However, corporate profits during the period fell after solid growth in Q4. Meanwhile, Q1 current account deficit hit a record peak, underperforming forecasts. The four major banks fell between 0.2% and 3.9%, while other notable losers included PLS Group (-2.8%), Woodside Energy (1.8%), and Aristocrat Leisure (1.3%). On the upside, Northern Star Resources jumped 13.6% after activist investor Elliott Investment disclosed an over AUD 1 billion stake and called for a strategic review.
2026-06-02
Australia Stocks Trade Notably Lower
Australian equities fell 81 points or 0.9% to 8,648 in Tuesday morning trade, marking a second straight drop as renewed uncertainty over U.S.–Iran peace talks triggered a sharp drop in U.S. futures. Sentiment was further weighed by caution ahead of key domestic releases, including April building permits and Q1 business inventories and gross profits later today, followed by GDP and trade data in coming days. In top trading partner China, manufacturing growth slowed in May, according to a private survey, while official data pointed to stagnation, underscoring persistent headwinds from the Middle East conflict. Sector performance was broadly negative, with process industries, logistics, retail trade, and financials among major laggards. The big four banks slipped between 1.7% and 1.9%, while notable decliners included Scentre Group (-5.3%), GPT Group (-3.5%), Qantas Airways (-2.4%), and Medibank Private (-1.8%).
2026-06-02
ASX 200 Ends Muted Ahead of Key Data Releases
The ASX 200 was little changed on Monday, the first trading day of June, closing at 8,729 after the prior session’s rally. Gains in tech services, healthcare, and commercial services offset declines in process industries and consumer services. Traders braced for a busy week of domestic releases, including Q1 business inventories, company gross profits, and GDP. April trade data will also be due after March exports fell, but imports surged. In the meantime, fresh figures showed job ads rose in May for the first time in three months, while the monthly inflation gauge slipped 0.3% mom, its first decline since February. In the U.S, stock futures edged higher after President Donald Trump said Tehran “really wants to make a deal” that would benefit the U.S. and its allies. Two of the big four banks posted modest gains, alongside heavyweight BHP Group (0.3%) and Rio Tinto (1.7%). On the downside, Lynas Rare Earths slipped 2.6%, CSL Ltd. fell 2.3%, and Bluescope Steel lost 1.1%.
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